The White House says selected machinery, paper products and packaging will be exempted, while certain valves, carpets and waste products will be added to the tariff list.
The US government will lift its additional 50% tariff—a tax on imports—from some Canadian goods on 30 October while adding others to the tariff list. US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on 23 October setting the legal terms for the changes, which do not provide blanket tariff relief.
The changes follow the collapse of US–Canada trade talks in summer 2026 and an escalating tariff dispute affecting businesses on both sides of the border. The additional duty took effect on 22 August after a three-day suspension, and Trump revised its product coverage on 8 September.
Products listed in Annex I, Part A lose the additional duty, which equals 50% of the goods' value. Products listed in Part B become subject to that duty. The proclamation therefore changes which Canadian imports face the charge rather than removing it across the board.
For goods that remain covered or are added, the 50% duty applies on top of any applicable duties under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, a separate US trade-law provision. Exemption from this additional duty does not remove any applicable Section 232 charge.
The White House presented the measure as defending American workers and ensuring fair trade. In the proclamation, Trump said the changes would better serve the public interest while continuing to offset what he described as discrimination against US commerce through Canada’s motor-vehicle tariff system.
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| Change | Canadian goods identified |
|---|
| Removed from the additional 50% tariff | Plywood sheets, some paper products, certain machinery and refrigeration equipment, and certain packing crates and boxes. |
| Added to the additional 50% tariff | Certain valves, carpets and waste products, among other goods. |
Republican US Senator Susan Collins of Maine announced the exemptions before the White House. Separately from the White House’s list of equipment and materials, the Guardian reported Collins’s account that relief covered nine agricultural products, including blueberries, potatoes, apples and seaweed.
Collins said the exemptions would help Maine’s growers because many depend on specialised Canadian equipment, packaging materials and other supplies. Those products are either unavailable from American suppliers or cannot be replaced without significant expense, she said.
The BBC cited Wall Street Journal reporting that the exemptions were intended to help Collins and other Republicans in the 3 November midterm elections.
On 23 October, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada was open to a mutually beneficial agreement but willing to wait months or longer for a suitable deal. Collins said she would continue seeking further tariff relief and encouraging a broader trade agreement with Canada.
The tariff changes apply to goods entered for consumption—for use in the US—or withdrawn from a customs warehouse for that purpose, at or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on 30 October.
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