Washington, Sep 2026 : US President Donald Trump has ordered sweeping new restrictions on a range of Canadian imports, including alcoholic beverages, dairy products and motorcycles, as his administration steps up its trade confrontation with Ottawa.
The new import bans will come into effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on September 29, according to a series of proclamations issued by the White House. Canadian goods that enter the United States before the deadline but have not been cleared for consumption will continue to face the existing 50 per cent tariff.
A senior administration official told reporters on Tuesday that the measures were intended to respond to Canadian retaliatory trade actions, protect American industries and restore what the administration considers a more balanced trading relationship between the two countries.
The official estimated that the newly prohibited imports represent trade worth “single-digit billions” of dollars. Changes to the existing tariff regime, meanwhile, are not expected to significantly affect the approximately $20 billion worth of Canadian goods already covered by the duties.
The administration argued that the economic impact would be considerably greater for Canada than for the United States. According to the official, the newly restricted products account for only about 0.1 per cent of total US consumption.
The list of prohibited alcoholic products is extensive and includes packaged beer, sparkling wine, cider, sake, whisky, bourbon, rum, gin, vodka, tequila, brandy, liqueurs and other spirits. Non-alcoholic beer has also been included in the restrictions.
Trump’s order additionally targets several Canadian dairy-related products, including whey protein concentrates, modified whey, fluid whey, dried whey and various forms of molasses.
A separate proclamation imposes restrictions on Canadian motorcycles and cycles equipped with engines larger than 800cc.
Alongside the new bans, the White House has revised the list of Canadian products already subject to the 50 per cent tariffs. These changes will take effect on September 15.
The revised tariff list adds several categories of paper, iron and steel structures, aluminium products and metal fittings. Other newly included products range from golf carts and small motor vehicles to outboard motorboats, furniture, mattresses and lamps. Certain cheeses made from milk other than cow’s milk have also been added.
At the same time, the administration has removed several products from the tariff list, including salt, Portland cement, refined lead, certain household paper products, switchgear assemblies and some fishing rod components and accessories.
The senior official said the changes followed consultations with American businesses after the earlier tariffs were introduced. Some products were removed because certain regions of the United States depend heavily on Canadian supplies that would be difficult to replace quickly with domestic or alternative sources.
Despite the escalation, the White House has left the door open for negotiations with Canada. The official described recent discussions between American and Canadian officials as constructive and said another round of talks was expected within days.
The administration also confirmed that Trump’s plan to increase tariffs on Canadian automobiles to 50 per cent from January 1 remains unchanged.
The latest measures stem from Trump’s earlier decision to impose additional duties under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 through proclamations issued on July 20. Implementation was temporarily suspended after Canada indicated that it would address the US concerns.
However, the suspension expired on August 22 after the White House concluded that Canada had not taken sufficient action. Section 338 gives the US President authority, under specified circumstances, to impose duties of up to 50 per cent and restrict or prohibit imports from countries deemed to discriminate against American commerce.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
