Key Takeaways
- The United States has banned a range of Canadian goods including alcohol and dairy products.
- The move comes after Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs on US goods.
- Both countries are seeking to protect their industries amid failed negotiations.
The United States has imposed a series of import bans on Canadian goods, including alcoholic beverages, motorcycles, and dairy products, escalating an ongoing trade dispute.
The bans, which will take effect on September 29, were published on the White House’s website and follow Canada’s own retaliatory tariffs on US goods that came into force on Tuesday.
The breakdown in talks between the two longtime allies has widened a rift, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney urging a shift away from Canada’s biggest trading partner.
The US bans cover a broad range of alcohol products, including beer, wine, whisky, bourbon, rum, vodka, vermouth, tequila, mezcal, and brandy, as well as dairy products such as whey protein, invert molasses, cane molasses, and non-alcoholic beer.
In addition to the import bans, various cheese products were added to a list of goods subject to a 50% tariff, although they were not outright banned.
The US also included some paper, aluminum, wood, furniture, lighting, and other products in the list of affected goods.
President Donald Trump’s pre-existing threat to increase tariffs on Canadian autos from 25% to 50% on January 1 remains in effect, according to a US official.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer spoke with Canada’s minister responsible for bilateral US trade, Dominic LeBlanc, over the past couple of days, and the pair are expected to speak again to explore a path forward.
LeBlanc criticized the latest US measures in a social media post, stating that Ottawa’s retaliatory measures were designed to put economic and political pressure on Washington and protect Canadian workers, farmers, families, and businesses.
