The Trump administration has ordered an outright ban of Canadian dairy, motorcycles and most alcoholic beverages, to take effect later this month, in response to Canada's retaliatory tariffs that took kicked in on September 8.
In the latest salvo in the escalating trade war between the U.S. and its second-largest trading partner, the White House issued a press release declaring that the ban on imports was necessary "to address Canada’s additional and continued retaliation and discrimination against U.S. commerce to protect American farmers, manufacturers, and workers."
The ban — including cane molasses, non-alcoholic beer, several wine, rum and vodka products, and malted beer — is set to take effect on September 29.
President Donald Trump also directed the government's General Services Administration to bar Canadian products from a federal purchasing program that manages more than $50 billion in contracts. Separately, the administration is adding products ranging from all-terrain vehicles to additional dairy goods to its existing 50% tariffs against Canada.
Canada's retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. range between 15% and 50%, covering American steel, dairy, appliances, electronics and more, as part of Prime Minister Mark Carney's vow to meet the Trump administration's tariffs dollar for dollar. In a video announcing the levies, Carney stressed the importance of relying less on American trade.
In service of that goal, Canada has sought to look beyond the U.S., and has already engaged with the European Union to look into deepening ties with the bloc. Carney is expected to travel to France to attend European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's State of the EU speech on September 16, and is scheduled to address the European Parliament the next day.
However, Canada will struggle to find fresh customers for some of its largest exports, such as hydroelectric power, as well as automobile parts and finished cars made under the Automotive Products Trade Agreement of 1965.
