Trump banning import of Canadian booze, motorcycles, other goods into U.S.

Trump banning import of Canadian booze, motorcycles, other goods into U.S.

Canadian retaliatory tariffs came into force earlier Tuesday

U.S. President Donald Trump is banning the import of Canadian alcohol, motorcycles and various other products into the U.S.

Trump signed five proclamations on Tuesday night, banning those Canadian imports and slapping 50 per cent tariffs on a series of other products as of Sept. 29.

Whey products and molasses are also included in the new ban, while certain dairy products, paper and wood products, aluminum products, furniture and mattresses will be subject to 50 per cent levies.

This is the latest move in an escalating trade war between Canada and the U.S. and comes after Canadian retaliatory tariffs, promised after trade talks fell apart last month, came into force on Tuesday.

U.S. to block import of Canadian motorcycles, most alcohol in retaliation against counter-tariffs

A senior Trump administration official told reporters on background that Washington opted for outright bans instead of tariffs because some Canadian provinces banned the sale of American alcohol in provincially run stores.

"These are things that we are doing in order to level the playing field, defend American production and take action against one of the only countries on the planet to retaliate against the United States," the official said.

"Canada set this precedent of banning things."

The official said that they estimate the import ban would impact "single-digit billions" of dollars worth of Canadian goods.

Former ambassador to U.S. Hillman was 'struck' by untenability of trade deal

Trump is using Section 338 of the U.S. Tariff Act, or the Smoot-Hawley Act, to implement the import bans. The same section was used to tariff a swath of Canadian imports last month, on top of sectoral tariffs that have been in place for over a year.

The proclamations say the U.S. will also remove tariffs from a series of products, including salt, toilet paper, refined lead and fishing rods.

Earlier, Trump moved to bar Canadian-made products from eligibility for certain U.S. government purchasing contracts.

In a post to his Truth Social platform on Tuesday afternoon, Trump said he is directing the General Services Administration — the independent agency that oversees federal government procurement — to remove Canadian-origin products from its "multiple award schedules."

While the General Services Administration's preferential purchase program accounts for roughly $50 billion US worth of procurement per year, only 58 Canadian companies were granted contracts through the program in 2024-25, the most recent fiscal year with details available, according to information extracted from a GSA database by CBC News.

Carney releases video saying U.S. wanted 'dependency' in too many areas

CBC News has reached out to the Prime Minister's Office and the office of the minister responsible for U.S. trade for a response.

Prime Minister Mark Carney released a video Tuesday morning warning Canadians that the country's pivot away from the United States will come at a cost — but insists the alternative would be far worse.

The prime minister reiterated Canada's plan to respond to the U.S. trade war by striking new trade deals with other countries to become less reliant on the U.S.

"We have everything we need to pivot and prosper," Carney said. "That pivot will come at a cost. There's always a cost to action. But it doesn't come close to the cost of standing still."

Canadian and American negotiators were working toward a trade agreement that would have given Canada some tariff relief in key sectors. But the Carney government ultimately decided to walk away, with the prime minister calling what the U.S. was offering "uneconomic."

Darren Major is a senior writer for CBC's parliamentary bureau in Ottawa. He previously worked as a digital reporter for CBC Ottawa and a producer for CBC's Power & Politics. He holds a master's degree in journalism and a bachelor's degree in public affairs and policy management, both from Carleton University. He also holds a master's degree in arts from Queen's University. He can be reached at darren.major@cbc.ca.

With files from The Canadian Press