Muhammad Amanullah — September 15, 2026
The trade war between Canada and the United States has intensified further after the US imposed a 50 per cent tariff on an additional 110 Canadian products.
The new tariffs came into effect shortly after midnight on Tuesday, making access to the US market more expensive for a range of Canadian goods.
The tariffs are part of changes announced by US President Donald Trump’s administration last week. The changes added some products to the tariff list while removing duties on several other goods.
Which Products Are Affected?
The new 50 per cent tariffs apply to a wide range of products, including different types of cheese, motorboats, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), furniture and various industrial goods.
The list also includes aluminium products, paper and wood products, iron or steel beams, electric lamps and mattresses.
According to the US government, the measures are intended to maintain trade pressure on Canada following Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on American products.
Tariffs Removed From 10 Products
At the same time, the US administration has removed 10 products from the tariff list.
The products receiving relief include salt, sugar, cement, switchboards and toilet paper, among other goods.
The White House says the tariff changes are intended to reduce the burden on US trade and take public interest into greater consideration.
Toilet Paper Among Key Exemptions
Toilet paper is particularly notable among the products exempted from the new tariffs.
In 2024, Canada exported approximately US$328 million worth of toilet paper to the United States, making Canada the largest international supplier of the product to the US.
Canada is also among the major suppliers of salt to the United States. According to trade data, the US imported approximately US$159.2 million worth of salt from Canada in 2025.
Overall Impact of the Tariffs
Experts say that when the total trade value of products newly added to the tariff list and those removed from it is considered, the two figures are relatively close.
According to an analysis by University of Ottawa business and trade law expert Wolfgang Alschner, the products from which tariffs were removed represented approximately US$2.41 billion in trade, while the newly tariffed products accounted for around US$2.56 billion in trade in 2025.
As a result, the overall scope of the tariffs has increased only slightly, although the change remains relatively small compared with the total volume of trade between Canada and the United States.
Switchboards Among the Largest Categories
Switchgear assemblies and switchboards represent the largest category in terms of trade value among the newly affected products.
According to Alschner, the United States imported approximately US$750 million worth of switchgear assemblies and switchboards from Canada in 2025.
These products are used across a range of industries, from automobiles to aircraft.
Experts warn that tariffs on such products could also increase costs for US industries because Canadian goods cannot always be easily replaced by alternative suppliers.
Pressure Also Building on the United States
According to trade expert Alschner, the decision to remove tariffs from certain products suggests that the US government is monitoring how much of the additional tariff costs are ultimately passed on to American consumers.
He cited salt and cement as examples. Salt is essential for melting snow and ice on roads during winter, while demand for cement is such that it cannot easily be replaced by another product.
Maintaining tariffs on such goods could therefore create additional economic challenges for the United States itself.
Trade War Intensifies
The latest measures come after Canada and the United States failed to reach a trade agreement in August, following which tensions between the two countries have continued to rise.
On August 22, the United States implemented its threat to impose tariffs of up to 50 per cent on a number of Canadian products. Canada responded by imposing retaliatory tariffs on approximately 700 categories of American goods, which came into effect on September 8.
More Restrictions Expected From September 29
US President Donald Trump has also announced further measures targeting Canadian products.
Restrictions on imports of alcohol, motorcycles and certain other products from Canada are expected to take effect from September 29.
Experts warn that an expanding trade war could affect business activity in specific regions, potentially resulting in job losses and the closure of small businesses.
Challenges for Canadian Companies
The latest tariffs are also making it more difficult for Canadian companies to find alternative ways of accessing the US market.
According to Alschner, some companies had previously been able to shift production toward products that were not subject to tariffs. However, the introduction of increasingly specific and targeted tariffs is reducing those opportunities.
The latest measures indicate that the trade relationship between Canada and the United States has entered another difficult phase, with both countries seeking to increase pressure on each other while also attempting to limit the economic consequences of the escalating trade dispute.
