Canada Hits Back With Tariffs of Up to 50 Percent
From September 8, Ottawa taxes $27.6 billion of US imports at 15, 25 or 50 percent — each rate mirroring the levy Washington set.
Illustration: a freight terminal at a border river in morning mist, with containers, cranes and a queue of waiting trucks.
Canada will impose retaliatory tariffs of 15, 25 or 50 percent on $27.6 billion worth of US goods starting September 8, 2026, matching each rate to the duty Washington placed on the comparable Canadian product.
At a glance
- Counter-tariffs start September 8, 2026: 15, 25 or 50 percent, tiered by product.
- Scope: US imports worth $27.6 billion.
- Sectors: steel, aluminum, appliances, farm machinery, pulp, paper, electronics.
- Trigger: US duties of 50 percent on roughly $20 billion of Canadian goods.
- Ottawa adds a support package worth 7.5 billion Canadian dollars.
Canada is answering Washington's latest tariffs with duties of its own. From September 8, 2026, US goods worth $27.6 billion face Canadian tariffs of 15, 25 or 50 percent, with the rate set product by product. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the move after President Donald Trump imposed new tariffs over the weekend.
How the Canadian measure works
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne described the design as a mirror: for each product, the Canadian duty is meant to match the US duty on the equivalent Canadian good. Steel and aluminum, household appliances, farm machinery, pulp and paper, and electronics are on the list. Ottawa is pairing the tariffs with a support package worth 7.5 billion Canadian dollars for the exposed industries.
What set it off
Over the weekend, Washington applied 50 percent tariffs to roughly $20 billion of Canadian goods, among them furniture, honey, wine and hockey sticks. Imported cars, trucks and auto parts separately still carry a 25 percent rate, while steel, aluminum and copper face between 10 and 50 percent. The US has also threatened to raise the rate on autos, trucks, parts and steel to 50 percent on January 1, 2027. Talks between the two governments collapsed at the end of last week.
Why cars dominate the fight
In 2024, 85 percent of Canada's vehicle exports went to the United States, which makes the auto rate the most consequential figure on the table. Carney accused the US administration of trying to destroy key Canadian industries — autos, steel and aluminum. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Ottawa's preferred outcome had been an agreement that served both countries.
What is not settled
The January 2027 escalation is an announcement rather than a measure in force, and no decision date has been made public. The full product schedule showing which goods fall into the 15, 25 and 50 percent bands was not available in full. This report draws on two accounts our newsroom was able to read; a third could not be retrieved and was not used.
FAQ
When do Canada's retaliatory tariffs take effect?
On September 8, 2026. Depending on the product, the rate is 15, 25 or 50 percent.
Which US products are covered?
US imports worth $27.6 billion, including steel, aluminum, household appliances, farm machinery, pulp, paper and electronics.
What triggered Canada's response?
Washington imposed 50 percent tariffs on about $20 billion of Canadian goods over the weekend, after negotiations between the two sides broke down at the end of last week.
