President Donald Trump has retaliated against Canada’s retaliation against US tariffs.
Trump on Tuesday ordered new tariffs on some Canadian goods and outright bans on others, the White House said.
The bans, set to take effect September 29, impact many kinds of Canadian alcohol, some motorcycles, some dairy products, molasses, and nonalcoholic beer. The new 50% tariffs, set to take effect September 15, cover a broad range of Canadian cheeses, manufacturing materials like some steel and aluminum products, golf carts, and certain types of furniture, among other goods.
The White House said the bans were “in response to continued discrimination against the commerce of the United States” regarding dairy, alcohol, and motor vehicles.
It’s the latest development in Trump’s trade war with Canada, which began last year after he announced broad tariffs on Canadian imports. Tensions flared last month when the US imposed a new wave of 50% tariffs, including on alcohol, construction materials, and hockey equipment, after American and Canadian officials failed to strike a deal in negotiations.
Canada retaliated with additional tariffs on US goods, which took effect on Tuesday and targeted cheese, honey, and aluminum foil, among many more.
Alcohol became a major flash point in the trade war when some Canadian provinces pulled American alcohol from their shelves last year in response to US tariffs. Trump cited Canada’s treatment of American alcohol in announcing his new ban, which could impact several Canadian-made products that are popular in the US, like Canadian whiskies.
Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, a national trade association, said in a statement that American spirit makers have “shouldered the brunt of this trade dispute” for the past year and a half.
“Canadian provinces’ removal of US spirits from store shelves caused US spirits exports to Canada to fall by more than 70%,” he said.
“We urge leaders on both sides of the border to reach a negotiated solution that restores US spirits to retail shelves throughout Canada and returns the spirits sector to a permanent zero-for-zero tariff framework,” Swonger added.
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