The United States is set to ban imports of selected Canadian alcoholic beverages, dairy products and large-engine motorcycles from September 29, deepening an escalating trade dispute with Ottawa. The measures follow retaliatory Canadian tariffs on about $20 billion of US goods and come amid continuing disagreements over market access and trade practices.
Washington, Sept 2026 : The United States will impose a ban on imports of selected Canadian alcoholic beverages, dairy products and motorcycles from Tuesday, September 29, escalating the trade confrontation between Washington and Ottawa.
The restrictions will come into effect at 12:01 a.m. on September 29 under an order issued by the White House. The affected products include Canadian-made cheese, whey and whey-derived products, alcoholic beverages, motorcycles with larger engines, and certain cane and invert molasses.
US President Donald Trump ordered the restrictions on September 8, citing Canada's retaliatory tariffs on approximately $20 billion worth of American exports. Those Canadian measures covered products including steel, dairy goods and agricultural equipment.
Canada had introduced the retaliatory tariffs after the Trump administration imposed 50 per cent tariffs on hundreds of Canadian products. The latest US action marks another escalation in the trade dispute between the two closely integrated North American economies.
The White House said Canada had continued what the administration described as discriminatory practices affecting American alcoholic beverages, dairy products and motor vehicles. Trump determined that restricting imports of the selected Canadian products was consistent with US and public interests.
The alcohol restrictions cover a wide range of beverages, including rye, whisky, wine, beer, vermouth, tequila, vodka and rum. The list includes both packaged and unpackaged products.
The measures could have a significant impact on Canadian producers because the United States is the country's dominant export market for alcoholic beverages. Canada's Trade Commissioner Service has reported that the country exported about $1.36 billion worth of alcoholic beverages in 2023, with roughly 90 per cent of those exports going to the United States. Spirits accounted for around two-thirds of the trade.
Canadian wine and beer producers are also heavily dependent on the US market. Wine Growers Canada previously told Global News that approximately $8.3 million worth of Canadian wine was shipped to the United States in 2025, with ice wine accounting for 57 per cent of those exports. Beer Canada reported exports of about $28 million in beer products last year, with the United States remaining the country's largest foreign market.
Dairy products are another longstanding source of friction between the two countries. US officials have repeatedly criticised Canada's supply-management system and restrictions governing access to its dairy market.
The latest restrictions place particular emphasis on whey, including whey protein and other products derived from the cheese-making process. Dairy Farmers of Canada has described the escalation in trade measures as “deeply concerning”.
Statistics Canada reported that Canadian dairy exports to the United States exceeded $700 million in 2024, although the precise value of shipments that will be affected by the new restrictions remained unclear.
The motorcycle restrictions cover motorcycles and mopeds equipped with reciprocating internal-combustion engines with cylinder capacities exceeding 800 cubic centimetres, adding another manufactured-goods category to the widening dispute.
As the September 29 deadline approached, there was little indication that Washington and Ottawa would reach a new agreement before the restrictions took effect.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has said President Trump was “comfortable” with the state of trade relations with Canada. Greer noted that the two countries continued to conduct substantial trade, particularly in oil, natural gas and potash.
He also said Canada periodically approached Washington seeking an agreement on trade issues.
Canadian Minister responsible for Canada-US Trade Dominic LeBlanc, meanwhile, told Global News that Ottawa “maintains ongoing communications with our American counterparts”, signalling that discussions between the two governments remain open.
The latest restrictions are being imposed under Section 338 of the US Tariff Act of 1930. The provision gives the US President authority to restrict imports from countries found to discriminate against American commerce.
With the new measures covering consumer goods, food products and vehicles, the dispute now affects a wider range of industries on both sides of the border. The developments are expected to increase pressure on producers and exporters as Washington and Ottawa continue negotiations over their broader trading relationship.
