The US will ban imports of a range of Canadian products, including alcoholic spirits, some dairy goods and motorbikes, after its neighbour’s retaliatory tariffs on American goods came into force.
In a series of executive orders on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said Canada was “discriminating” against the US and outlined the bans, which will begin on 29 September.
Officials on both sides have said they would like to strike a trade deal, but no new talks have been scheduled since negotiations collapsed in late August.
Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s trade minister, said the latest US measures were “unjustified” and that he would work to protect the country’s workers, families and businesses.
“Our core focus is on what we can control: building strength at home, diversifying our partnerships abroad, and building Canada strong for all Canadians,” LeBlanc said.
He said he had contacted his US counterpart and promised to work “in good faith” to resolve tensions.
Earlier on Tuesday, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a video address that his country’s move away from the US as its largest trading partner “will come at a cost”.
The White House’s new sanctions are the latest strike in a months-long trade war between the US and Canada. The two countries have historically been close allies, with each a key business partner to the other.
Generally more than two-thirds of Canada’s total exports go to the US. In 2025, Canada’s exports of alcoholic spirits to the US were worth US$687m (£507m), dairy products were worth $269m and motorbikes were worth $90m, according to UN data compiled by Trading Economics.
But Stephen Brown, chief North America economist at Capital Economics, said the import ban covered just 0.25% of Canada’s exports to the US.
He said: “Nonetheless, Trump’s willingness to impose an import ban is further evidence, if it were needed, that these latest measures are about inflicting economic pain rather than raising revenue.”
