Donald Trump to impose 50% tariff on most Canadian goods, White House says

Donald Trump at the White House in Washington DC on 14 July 2026. Photograph: Graeme Sloan/Pool/Graeme Sloan - Pool/CNP/ShutterstockView image in fullscreenDonald Trump at the White House in Washington DC on 14 July 2026. Photograph: Graeme Sloan/Pool/Graeme Sloan - Pool/CNP/ShutterstockTrump tariffsDonald Trump to impose 50% tariff on most Canadian goods, White House saysTurmoil likely as Trump officials say Canada unfairly discriminated against US autos, alcohol and dairy products

Donald Trump is imposing 50% tariffs on most Canadian goods in response to the country retaliating against previous US tariffs, the White House announced Monday, declaring Canada has unfairly discriminated against American cars, alcohol and dairy products.

The tariffs will hit a wide range of products, the White House said, including wine, hockey sticks and cement. They also include goods previously protected from import taxes under the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) agreement.

The new tariffs will exclude energy products, fish, critical minerals and potash. They also exclude products already subject to tariffs aimed at protecting national security, such as steel and aluminum.

The steep tariffs will probably unleash a new wave of economic chaos, with risks of higher inflation and further fraying of relations between two nations that had been closely woven together before Trump’s return to the White House.

The Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, said in a statement that his government has made comprehensive proposals ‌to resolve trade disputes with Washington, asserting that Trump’s past tariffs violated ‌a trade pact between the two countries.

“This trade dispute has raised costs for families, particularly in the US,” he said. “Canada stands ready to engage intensively to address outstanding issues with the US to the mutual benefit of our citizens.”

The White House said the tariffs will go into effect in 30 days, leaving time for possible negotiations between the two countries.

Trump signed three proclamations to launch the tariffs under Section 338 of the 1930 Trade Act. Several Democratic lawmakers last year proposed repealing the section because they said Trump could use it to destabilize the economy.

A White House fact sheet claims Trump is “taking action to hold Canada accountable for its continued discrimination against and unreasonable and unequal treatment of U.S. commerce that has burdened and disadvantaged hardworking Americans”.

Trump claims in the proclamations that Canada discriminates against American automobiles, alcohol and cheese relative to other nations, but his argument rests in large part on retaliatory actions taken by Canada after the US president imposed tariffs on Canada under the pretext that it should do more to stop fentanyl smuggling into the US.

Trump noted in his autos proclamation that Canada maintained, starting in April 2025, a 25% tariff on the imports of US motor vehicles that did not qualify for preferential treatment under the USMCA.