Trump imposes 50% US tariffs on some Canadian goods, citing discrimination

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing AFP and a White House fact sheet, reported that US President Donald Trump ordered new 50 percent tariffs on a range of Canadian goods, including wine, hockey sticks and cement. The order was issued on Monday and is scheduled to take effect in 30 days. The White House said the measure is aimed at what it describes as discriminatory treatment by Ottawa toward US alcohol, automobiles and dairy products.

The reported tariffs exclude energy, potash and goods already subject to sector-specific duties. However, Al Jazeera said they will apply to some products covered by the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, marking a notable shift because Trump’s earlier tariff actions generally spared goods entering under the North American trade pact. Trump is relying on Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which Al Jazeera described as an untested legal route, after many of his previous tariffs were struck down by the Supreme Court earlier this year.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the move a “direct violation” of the USMCA and said Canada was prepared to intensify discussions to address disputes with Washington. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer accused Canada of removing US alcohol from provincial shelves, giving European Union dairy products better market access and limiting certain US vehicle exports.

The announcement matters because it could deepen trade tensions between the United States and Canada, one of Washington’s largest trading partners. Al Jazeera noted that the move follows recent friction over Canadian retaliation to earlier tariffs and Trump’s threats to increase duties over wildfire smoke affecting parts of the US.