President Donald Trump on Monday imposed a 50 percent duty on a variety of Canadian goods, including alcohol, dairy products, hockey sticks, and many others.
The White House published the proclamation late in the afternoon, and the duties the United States is imposing are through Section 228 of the Tariff Act of 1930. A White House fact sheet lays out some of the Canadian products that are affected:
- Each Section 338 proclamation imposes a 50% tariff on a different set of Canadian imports, covering products ranging from wine to hockey sticks to cement.
- These Section 338 tariffs apply to all covered goods regardless of whether a good originates under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
- These Section 338 tariffs will not apply to energy, potash, products subject to tariffs under Section 232, and certain other goods, such as fish or critical minerals.
- The tariffs will take effect 30 days after signing and are designed to offset the burden and disadvantage on U.S. commerce from Canada’s discrimination.
ABC News provided further details on the products now facing a 50 percent duty:
The list of goods covered by the new duties is very wide-ranging, from dairy products, alcohol and alcohol-related products to some food products.
The tariffs also cover construction materials, clothing, furniture, technology and car parts.
The proclamation emphasizes the tariffs are in response to “discrimination” via a Canadian “tariff scheme” against American U.S. motor vehicles and auto parts.
“Specifically, Canada imposed a tariff system on only U.S. motor vehicles and treats the commerce of foreign countries more favorably than commerce of the United States with respect to motor vehicles, as defined in Canada’s United States Surtax Order…” the proclamation states. “I find that imposing additional ad valorem duties on certain products of Canada to address the burden or disadvantage from this discrimination or unequal and unreasonable imposition is in the public interest, will serve the public interest, and is consistent with the interests of the United States.”
The move comes a day after Trump was with Prime Minister Mark Carney at the World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina at MetLife Stadium in Rutherford, New Jersey.
Trump also noted last week he would be imposing tariffs on Canada to compensate for costs incurred from Canadian wildfire smoke that blanketed the United States.
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