White House Unleashes New Round of 50% Tariffs Against Canadian Imports

President Trump imposed a fresh set of 50 percent tariffs on selected Canadian goods Monday, accusing Ottawa of discriminatory practices against U.S. motor vehicles, alcohol, and dairy products.

The duties, authorized under the rarely used Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, are set to take effect in 30 days and cover roughly $20 billion in imports. Energy, critical minerals, fish, and certain other items were excluded.

Unlike some earlier measures, the new tariffs will apply even to goods that had previously received protection under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the action as reciprocity, noting that Canada had been “highly discriminatory on dairy products” and that U.S. alcohol had been removed from Canadian shelves.

Prime Minister Mark Carney responded that Canada “believes in the benefits of free and fair trade” and would take measures to support its workers and businesses. Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged immediate matching retaliation.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance warned of higher freight costs and border bottlenecks. Analysts estimated only a small fraction of overall Canadian imports would be affected, yet the legal precedent could prove significant after earlier court limits on other tariff authorities.

The administration framed the step as leverage to force fairer treatment for American producers after years of what it called one-sided barriers.