US President Donald Trump has signed three executive orders imposing a 50 per cent tariff on a wide range of Canadian goods – from wine and ice hockey sticks to cement, building materials and electrical equipment, according to a White House statement.
“President Trump is offsetting the burden and disadvantages to US trade caused by Canada’s discriminatory treatment of US trade, and is levelling the playing field for key US exports – cars, alcohol and dairy products,” the White House statement said.
The tariffs will come into force in 30 days’ time, on 19 August, and will apply to imports worth approximately $20 billion.
The White House stated that Canada is imposing tariffs and quotas on imports of cars from the US, but not from other countries, – as a result of which, between April 2025 and March 2026, Canadian imports of American cars fell by approximately 22 per cent.
According to the White House, almost all Canadian provinces and territories, with the exception of two, have ceased purchasing and selling US alcohol. The Trump administration’s statement notes that Canada’s quotas on US cheese are stricter than those on European cheese, even though the country has trade agreements with both the US and the EU.