Trump Imposes 50% Tariffs on Canadian Goods

• U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order imposing 50% tariffs on a wide range of Canadian goods, accusing Ottawa of discriminatory trade practices against American products.

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed executive orders imposing new 50% tariffs on a broad range of Canadian goods, accusing Ottawa of engaging in discriminatory trade practices against American products.

The White House announced on Monday that the tariffs will take effect in 30 days and will apply to several Canadian exports, including wine, hockey sticks and cement.

According to a White House fact sheet, Trump invoked Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, a little-used legal provision that allows the United States to impose trade measures on countries deemed to have discriminated against American commerce.

The administration said the action was taken in response to what it described as Canada’s “discriminatory treatment” of U.S. alcohol, automobile and dairy products.

While the new tariffs cover a wide range of goods, the White House said they will not apply to energy products, potash or goods already subject to sector-specific tariffs.

However, products covered under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will be affected by the new duties, marking a significant shift from previous tariff measures that generally exempted goods traded under the North American free trade pact.

The latest move is expected to further heighten trade tensions between Washington and Ottawa.

It also comes days after Trump threatened Canada with additional tariffs over smoke from massive wildfires that drifted across the border into the United States.

The new tariffs are the latest in a series of trade measures introduced by Trump since returning to the White House, as his administration continues to push for what it says are fairer trade relationships with key U.S. trading partners.