Canada follows through on threat to impose tariffs on nearly $28 billion in U.S. goods

By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times - Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Canada made good Tuesday on its pledge to impose retaliatory tariffs on a suite of U.S. goods, hitting American dairy, furniture, appliances and other goods with levies ranging from 15% to 50%.

Ottawa also doubled tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum to 50%, as the trade war between the North American neighbors showed no signs of abating.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose decision to play hardball with President Trump is generally popular at home, said the blowback from trade tensions would be tough — but worth it.

“There is always a cost to action. But it doesn’t come close to the cost of standing still,” Mr. Carney said Tuesday in a video address to the nation. “This is about who we are as Canadians. “It’s about our livelihoods and the country we leave to our kids. The truth is, adversity only makes us stronger; it always has.

The U.S. recently imposed 50% tariffs on a suite of Canadian goods after negotiators failed to reach a deal over Ottawa’s treatment of certain American sectors.

Mr. Trump says Canada put up trade barriers to American goods for years, even as it gave favorable treatment to products from other places.

The president says Canadian negotiators are nasty and that Americans do not need anything Canada produces. Administration officials accused the Canadian side of tanking trade talks to whip up political fervor ahead of pivotal elections in Quebec and Alberta this fall.

Canada responded with “dollar for dollar” tariffs on nearly $28 billion in U.S. goods, which took effect at midnight Monday.

Tariffs are duties imposed on foreign goods brought into a country’s markets.

They are typically used to protect domestic industries against unfair competition, while generating revenue for national treasuries.

Mr. Trump also uses tariffs to gain leverage over other countries in negotiations.

Critics of sweeping tariffs say they disrupt trade, weaken bilateral ties and raise prices when importers pass along the cost of duties to consumers.

Those concerns cut across party lines.

Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican facing reelection, praised Canada for dropping seafood from its tariff list but worries the trade war will harm her state.

“For Mainers, commerce with Canada is a regular occurrence, as Maine borders only one state but shares a 611-mile border with Canada,” Ms. Collins said in late August while urging Trump officials to restart trade talks. “The United States and Canada must come back to the negotiating table and reach a fair agreement to prevent these damaging tariffs from taking effect and protect Maine workers, employers, and communities from unnecessary economic harm.”

Mr. Carney said on Tuesday that Canada relied on deep economic integration with the U.S. for decades.

“Truth is, it was easy business. But it meant we relied too much on one economic partner. It’s clear that time is over,” Mr. Carney said. “For the past year and a half, we’ve been steering our economy towards trusted partners. We’ve signed 20 trade and defense agreements across four different continents.”

Over the holiday weekend, Mr. Trump threatened to cut off sales of Bombardier aircraft unless it makes its planes in the U.S., saying the Montreal-based company posed unfair competition to American aerospace firms.

Bombardier responded by pointing to supply chain sites across the U.S.

“The American aerospace industry is a clear winner on trade and exports,” the company said in a written statement. “Bombardier is a strong contributor to the sector, creating tens of thousands of jobs across the United States.”

Sen. Jerry Moran, Kansas Republican, said he contacted the White House to protect Bombardier’s operations in Kansas.

“I reached out to the Trump administration to make certain the President is aware of the significant contributions of Bombardier to Kansas and the importance of its presence in Wichita to many Kansas workers at Bombardier and in the Bombardier supply chain,” he said on social media. “I will continue working to see that Bombardier’s manufacturing operations not only remain in Kansas but continue to grow and create American jobs.”