President Donald Trump took executive action on July 20 to impose a new 50% tariff on a wide range of imports from Canada in retaliation to what his administration called "discriminatory" Canadian trade practices in certain industries against the United States, according to administration officials.
The move, which risks further reigniting a trade war between Canada and the U.S., comes after Trump threatened tariffs against the country in response to smoke that entered the U.S. from raging wildfires in Canada. An administration official said Trump is exploring different tariff options for the wildfire response, however.
The sweeping tariffs, which go into effect in 30 days, apply to a range of Canadian imports ‒ from wine and dairy to hockey sticks to cement, an official said ‒ but do not extend to energy, potash, fish and critical minerals, among other exemptions. All other Canadian exports, including those singled out as tariff-free in the United States-Canada-Mexico agreement signed in 2019, are subject to the tariff.