Trump sets 50% tariffs on Canadian hockey gear, booze and dairy
The White House says the new duties, due Aug. 19, answer Canadian tariffs, alcohol boycotts and dairy limits.
By Sal Moretti · Money Reporter
3 min read
President Trump is moving to slap 50% tariffs on a wide mix of Canadian imports, including hockey equipment, alcohol and milk, in a sharp new turn in the trade fight between Washington and Ottawa.
The duties were set out in a series of proclamations signed Monday by Trump and are scheduled to begin Aug. 19, according to the White House. The administration said the move is aimed at what it called Canada’s “unreasonable, unequal, and discriminatory actions” against U.S. commerce.
The list reaches well beyond the rink and the bar. According to White House materials, the new tariffs also cover certain Canadian electronics, honey, flower bulbs, down feathers, plywood, cowhides, jewelry and other goods.
The administration tied part of the action to Canadian tariffs placed last year on some U.S. auto imports. Those Canadian measures followed Trump’s earlier tariffs on Canada, according to the report.
Other duties target Canadian beer, wine and liquor after Canadian boycotts of U.S. alcohol that were launched in response to last year’s tariffs, the White House said. Canadian dairy import quotas also factored into the administration’s move on milk, according to the report.
A senior administration official told reporters Monday that goods moving across the border under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement will not be spared from the new tariffs. The trade pact was signed during Trump’s first term.
The official said the White House does not view the action as the start of a trade war with Canada and said the administration remains willing to negotiate. The same official argued that the U.S. had to answer Canadian trade practices that the White House considers discriminatory, including Ottawa’s retaliation against earlier U.S. tariffs.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement that Canada had continued to retaliate while the administration sought what it considers fairer trade terms.
“While the Administration continues to secure fair and reciprocal trade deals with our trading partners, Canada, unlike other partners and allies, continues to retaliate against the United States for its efforts to rebalance trade and protect U.S. industry in national-security sensitive sectors,” Greer said.
The White House proclamations cited Canadian policies on motor vehicles, alcoholic beverages and dairy as grounds for the additional duties.
The measures add another strain to one of the world’s busiest trading relationships and put everyday cross-border goods, from hockey sticks to bottles of wine, directly in the middle of the dispute.
CBS News reported that it contacted Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office for comment. No response from Carney’s office was included in the report.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.