OTTAWA, Canada (Diya TV) — Canada will begin charging new tariffs on more than 700 categories of American goods starting Sept. 8, a retaliatory step that follows the collapse of trade talks between Ottawa and Washington last week.
The Canadian government released its list of targeted products Tuesday, covering roughly $27.6 billion (about $20 billion USD) in annual imports from the United States, according to Canada’s Department of Finance. Officials said the countermeasures match new U.S. duties “dollar for dollar, rate for rate.”
The move comes after President Donald Trump’s administration began enforcing 50% tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods on Aug. 22, hours after negotiations between the two countries broke down. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on social media that Canada had declined to finalize a deal the two sides had agreed to earlier in the week, while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Washington’s last-minute demands were unfair and inconsistent, according to NPR.
Speaking to reporters in Ottawa on Aug. 22, Carney compared the standoff to a conflict, telling reporters Canada had been “attacked,” according to NPR.
Canada’s Department of Finance said the new tariffs will run 15%, 25% or 50%, with each rate matching the U.S. duty on the equivalent product. The 50% tier includes steel and aluminum products, furniture, and clothing and apparel, according to the department. Appliances, dairy items such as cheese, and fish and seafood fall under the 25% tier, while electronics and tools are among the goods facing a 15% tariff, Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said.
The list also touches everyday consumer goods, including toilet paper, facial tissue, envelopes, carpets, smartphones, video game consoles, motorcycles, trailers, fishing rods and exercise equipment, along with honey, molasses, baking mixtures, perfumes, cosmetics and hair products.
Canada’s existing counter-tariffs on U.S.-made autos will remain in place separately from the new list, the Department of Finance said, and a tariff remission process will stay available for businesses seeking exceptions.
Alongside the tariffs, Canada announced a roughly C$7.5 billion support package for affected workers and businesses, including cash-flow assistance for companies and aid for workers the trade dispute puts at risk, according to Insurance Journal.
Canadian Industry Minister Mélanie Joly told reporters Canada chose the targeted goods in part with an eye on U.S. politics, saying the list aims to pressure products linked to specific American states ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, CNN reported.
The Canadian duties take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 8. Goods already in transit to Canada on that date will not be subject to the new tariffs, the Department of Finance said.
