Trump escalates trade war with Canada, moving to ban the import of some autos, dairy and alcohol

President Donald Trump on Tuesday moved to sharply escalate the trade war with Canada, seeking to block the import of some autos, dairy products and alcohol.

In a call with reporters, senior Trump administration officials said that the move was in direct response to Canada’s latest retaliatory tariffs. Those duties took effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.

The ban on the importation of Canadian alcohol in particular closely mirrors bans that provinces across Canada put in place in early 2025 on American alcohol. Those were imposed after Trump introduced sweeping duties on America’s longtime northern ally.

The measures announced Tuesday were signed into law under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, documents posted to the White House show. That trade law was never used until Trump implemented new tariffs on Canada under the statute in late August.

Other products banned from import include Canadian motorcycles.

A senior Trump administration official, speaking on the call with reporters, said the White House also completed “housekeeping” on tariffs already in place. Tariffs on cement, road salt and hospital pads were removed and replaced with duties on all-terrain vehicles, some cheeses and motor boats.

The import bans will go into effect in about three weeks — Sept. 29.

On Tuesday’s call, a White House official also said Trump’s plan for 50% duties on cars and trucks remains on the table. The president recently threatened to impose those on January 1.