“Canada has to be held accountable for this continued discrimination,” a senior Trump administration official said.
President Donald Trump has announced sweeping new 50% tariffs on a range of Canadian imports, accusing America's northern neighbor of discriminating against U.S. industries and escalating the trade dispute between the two countries.
Trump signed three proclamations on Monday imposing the tariffs on Canadian goods tied to the automotive, alcohol and dairy sectors. The measures were issued under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, a rarely used presidential authority that allows tariffs of up to 50% against countries found to be discriminating against American commerce. The tariffs, which take effect in 30 days, will apply to a broad range of products, including wine, hockey sticks, cement and other Canadian exports, regardless of whether they are covered by the existing U.S.-Canada free trade agreement. "Canada has to be held accountable for this continued discrimination," a senior Trump administration official said.
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The move prompted an immediate and furious response from Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who promised on X to retaliate if the tariffs take effect. "If these tariffs proceed, Canada should respond tariff for tariff, dollar for dollar." The latest measures mark another major escalation in the deteriorating trade relationship between Washington and Ottawa. Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced it would not renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), instead triggering annual reviews that have cast uncertainty over the future of the pact.
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The White House has also recently clashed with Canada over the massive wildfires burning in northwestern Ontario after smoke blanketed large areas of the United States. Trump previously argued the economic damage caused by the fires should ultimately be reflected in tariffs on Canadian goods, though President Trump stressed Monday's measures are unrelated to the wildfire dispute. "We're looking at those separately... if they managed their forests, they wouldn't have the fires," Trump said from the White House on Tuesday.
The Canadian government has not yet formally responded to the new tariffs, though officials are expected to weigh potential retaliatory measures in the coming days.
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