If you’ve been following the back-and-forth between Ottawa and Washington this week, you’ll know that the tariff war just got a lot uglier.
After months of on-again, off-again trade talks between Canada and the U.S., and a weekend that saw negotiations collapse entirely amid accusations from both sides, the Canadian government has now published the full list of American products it’s hitting back with tariffs on.
It’s the latest move in an escalation that started roughly a week earlier, when the U.S. slapped a 50% tariff on a wide range of Canadian goods, including alcohol, dairy, honey, cement and even hockey sticks, worth about $28 billion annually.
The new Canadian countermeasures cover another $27.6 billion in products imported from the U.S. and take effect at 12:01 a.m. on September 8, 2026.
Why this is happening
According to the Department of Finance, Canada spent months negotiating in good faith with the U.S. to try to reach a new trade deal, but says the concessions being asked of Canada weren’t fair or economically sound, and would have hurt Canadian workers and businesses. Trade talks were suspended Friday after Canada accused the U.S. of tacking on last-minute demands to an agreement both sides had already reached, including, according to Prime Minister Mark Carney, provisions that would have affected Quebec’s French language protections.
Donald Trump has since denied that claim in a series of social media posts.
What’s getting tariffed
The new counter-tariffs are concentrated in a handful of sectors: steel and aluminum, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, plastics, and electronics. Here’s a breakdown by category, with the tariff rate for common items in each:
Steel and aluminum
Tariffs on many items here are jumping from 25% up to 50%, matching the rate the U.S. is charging on the same materials.
- Raw steel ingots, bars and wire: 50%
- Steel sheets, coils and structural beams: 50%
- Kitchenware, tools, screws, nails and fencing: 25% to 50%
- Unwrought aluminum and aluminum wire: 50%
- Aluminum foil, tubes and structural components: 50%
Dairy
- Milk and cream (powdered or concentrated): 50%
- Whey and whey protein concentrate: 50%
- Cheese and curd (most types, including cheddar, mozzarella, brie, parmesan): 25%
- Natural honey: 50%
Household appliances
- Washing machines and dryers: 25%
- Dishwashers and dishwasher parts: 25%
- Refrigerators and freezers: 25%
- Air conditioners (window, split-system): 15%
- Heat pumps: 15%
Pulp and paper
- Toilet paper and facial tissue: 25%
- Paper towels and napkins: 50%
- Envelopes: 50%
- Kraft paper and paperboard: 25% to 50%
- Chemical wood pulp: 50%
Plastics
- Plastic bags and packaging: 50%
- Plastic tableware and kitchenware: 50%
- Vinyl flooring and wall coverings: 50%
Electronics
- Smartphones: 50%
- Network switching and routing equipment: 50%
- TV and monitor components: 25% to 50%
- Insulated electrical wire and cable: 25%
Agricultural and other equipment
- Farm mowers and harvesting machinery: 15% to 25%
- Forklifts and industrial lifting equipment: 15%
- Hand tools (pliers, wrenches, clamps): 25%
Existing counter-tariffs on U.S. autos remain in place separately and aren’t part of this new list.
What this means for shoppers
Since these are import tariffs, they apply at the border rather than directly at checkout, but that cost typically works its way down to consumers over time as businesses adjust their pricing. If you regularly buy American-made appliances, steel or aluminum products, dairy imports, or certain paper goods, it’s worth keeping an eye on prices in the months ahead.
The full, official list runs to 893 separate tariff items, organized by Harmonized System classification codes. Anyone wanting to check whether a specific product is affected, or look up the exact rate, can search the complete list directly on the Department of Finance’s website.
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