U.S. bans imports of Canadian alcohol, motorcycles and dairy products
The United States announced import bans and additional tariffs on Canadian goods as a trade dispute between the two countries escalated.
Washington, United States. The United States on Tuesday banned a broad range of Canadian alcoholic beverages, motorcycles and dairy products from import, escalating a trade dispute with Canada. The measures will take effect on September 29.
New restrictions and tariffs
The import bans were published on the White House website after Canadian retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods took effect shortly after midnight on Tuesday.
Canada’s levies followed 50 per cent tariffs imposed by the United States last month on about $20 billion of Canadian goods, after several rounds of negotiations collapsed.
The U.S. bans appeared to cover most alcohol products, including beer and various types of wine, whisky, bourbon, rum, vodka, vermouth, tequila, mezcal and brandy.
The dairy restrictions cover whey protein, invert molasses, cane molasses and non-alcoholic beer, according to White House notices.
Various cheese products were added to a list of goods subject to a 50 per cent tariff but were not banned outright. Some paper, aluminium, wood, furniture, lighting and other products were also added to the tariff list.
Trade talks
The dispute has widened a rift between the longtime allies, who have blamed each other for the failed talks. It has also prompted Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to call for a further shift away from Canada’s largest trading partner and raised questions over the viability of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
“We have everything we need to pivot and prosper,” Carney said on Tuesday in a video posted on YouTube.
“That pivot will come at a cost. There’s always a cost to action. But it doesn’t come close to the cost of standing still,” he said.
Further discussions expected
A U.S. official said President Donald Trump’s previous threat to raise tariffs on Canadian automobiles from 25 per cent to 50 per cent on January 1 remained in effect.
The official said U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer had spoken in recent days with Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s minister responsible for bilateral U.S. trade. The two were expected to speak again in the coming days to consider an alternative path for the two countries.
In a social media post on Tuesday night, LeBlanc criticised the latest U.S. measures and said he was in contact with Greer regarding a path forward.
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