US to ban selected Canadian imports as trade dispute escalates
Import bans on spirits, dairy goods and motorbikes will begin on 29 September after Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs on US products.
The United States will ban imports of selected Canadian products from 29 September, escalating a months-long trade dispute between the two countries.
The restrictions include alcoholic spirits, some dairy goods and motorbikes. Whey and non-alcoholic beer will be banned outright, while tariffs will rise on other goods, including some cheeses, metals and motorboats. The complete product list and precise tariff increases have not been provided.
President Donald Trump announced the measures in a series of executive orders, with the White House accusing Canada of discriminating against US businesses by restricting American goods while treating products from other countries differently.
The measures follow Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on US goods including steel, clothing and furniture, which came into effect after midnight on Tuesday. The US previously imposed 50 per cent tariffs on about US$20 billion of Canadian goods, affecting sectors including furniture, wine, sporting equipment and fishing equipment.
Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc called the latest US action unjustified and said he would work to protect Canadian workers, families and businesses. No new trade talks have been scheduled since negotiations collapsed in late August.
The dispute exposes the risks of prolonged restrictions between highly integrated economies. More than two-thirds of Canada’s exports go to the US, while Canadian exports to the US in 2025 included about US$687 million in alcoholic spirits, US$269 million in dairy products and US$90 million in motorbikes. Those figures cover broad categories and do not establish the value of goods affected by the bans.
