A United States ban on several Canadian imports, including alcohol, dairy products and motorcycles, has come into effect as a trade dispute between the two countries continues.
The measures were first announced by President Donald Trump in a series of executive orders signed on September 8. Trump said the bans are a response to what he described as "continued discrimination" by Canada on US dairy, automotive and alcohol products.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump accused Canada of "treating the United States very unfairly." "They have been one of the worst countries in the entire world," he said.
The ban applies to nearly C$1 billion ($710 million; £530 million) worth of Canadian liquor exported to the United States annually, as well as whey products used in protein powder. Motorcycle exports are also affected, though Canada sent approximately 5,000 motorcycles to the US in 2025, valued at around C$120 million, according to Statistics Canada data, limiting the overall impact.
About 93 percent of all Canadian liquor exports in 2025 were sold to the United States. Spirits Canada, a group representing Canadian liquor producers, has warned that the consequences to the industry "could be significant."
The latest measures follow Canada's implementation of tariffs on a range of US goods earlier this month, after trade talks between the two countries broke down.
Canada is not expected to retaliate further. Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier this month that the impact of the import bans on Canada's economy is "modest." He described the bans as "relatively modest measures" compared to other trade actions the US has imposed on Canada, while acknowledging they will hurt certain businesses and sectors that are directly targeted.
Derek Holt, an economist with Canadian bank Scotiabank, wrote in an analysis that "these actions are face-saving by the US administration, not substantive in nature and that's a positive."
Trade talks remain on hold. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said recently that Trump is "comfortable" with the current state of relations with Canada. "They call us now and then and we have good conversations about potential deals. But there's no urgency on our side," Greer said in a recent interview.
Economists and businesses have warned that the bans will add uncertainty to the future of Canada's trade relationship with the United States, its largest trading partner.
Beyond the latest import bans, the US has imposed 50 percent tariffs on a range of Canadian goods, including dairy, alcohol, steel and aluminium, as well as 25 percent tariffs on Canadian-built cars. Canada has responded with retaliatory tariffs ranging from 15 to 50 percent on more than 700 US products, along with a 25 percent levy on certain steel and aluminium products. Most Canadian provinces have also stopped selling US liquor.
Tariffs are central to Trump's economic agenda. He argues they raise government revenue and encourage consumers to buy American-made goods. Economists, however, contend that tariffs have raised prices of everyday goods for consumers and disrupted the global economy.
