Yet another wave of U.S. tariffs on Canadian exports has arrived as U.S. President Donald Trump’s global trade war marches on.
Since returning to the White House earlier this year, the Trump administration has announced, delayed, modified or threatened a dizzying array of import levies and other trade actions on Canada and dozens of other countries.
Here’s what to know about the tariffs currently impacting Canada:
25% on imports, 10% on energy products
Months before taking office in January, Trump announced he would lay sweeping tariffs on U.S. imports from Canada and Mexico, citing as justification the alleged flows of illegal migration and illicit fentanyl into the United States from both countries.
Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other agencies show that only a fraction of U.S. fentanyl imports come from the northern border; a proportion described by one U.S. think tank as “not an important part of this story.”
The initial volley of tariffs was outlined in more detail in February, ultimately including a 25 per cent surcharge on most imported goods, with the exception of Canadian energy resources, which carried a 10 per cent charge.
Following a one-month delay, the base tariffs activated on March 4, and remain in effect. Two days later, U.S. executive orders were amended to make all imports that are compliant with the Canada-Mexico-United States Agreement (CUSMA) exempt from tariffs. Non-CUSMA imports of potash were also made subject to 10 per cent tariffs.
A July analysis from RBC Economics found that of all Canadian imports to the U.S. in May 2025, roughly 91 per cent crossed the border duty-free, “consistent with the view that the exemption for CUSMA/USMCA-compliant trade from blanket U.S. tariffs imposed in March is working effectively.”
50% on steel and aluminum
Days after the initial round of tariffs, Trump imposed an additional tariff of 25 per cent on Canadian imports of steel and aluminum. The metal levies, which the White House said were subject to no exemptions, came into effect on March 12.
Amid a clash between Trump and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, the U.S. president briefly threatened to double the tariff rate, before walking back that plan.
In June, Trump announced he would double global steel and aluminum tariffs after all.
White House officials have clarified that two separate tariffs on a single product may not cancel one another out, and instead add their respective percentages together.
25% on automobiles and parts
Later in March, Trump signed a proclamation imposing 25 per cent tariffs on imports of “automobiles and certain automobile parts,” to address what that White House called a “critical threat” to American national security.
Specific products under the tariffs included passenger vehicles including cars and SUVs, light trucks, and parts such as engines, transmissions and electrical components, a White House fact sheet reads.
Industry and labour advocates have noted that North America’s automobile industry is highly integrated between countries, with a typical vehicle crossing international borders multiple times during the manufacturing process.
The White House clarified that tariffs, which activated on April 3, would be targeted surgically to avoid U.S. components of vehicles, and those compliant with CUSMA.
50% on copper
Earlier this week, Trump announced a universal tariff of 50 per cent on imports of copper pipes and wiring to the United States.
A White House fact sheet notes that copper tariffs do not stack with some others, meaning that products subject to an automotive tariff will not also be hit with the copper tariff.
35% base adjustment
The most recent round of U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports came into effect Friday, raising the initial base of 25 per cent on most kinds of imports to 35 per cent.
For weeks leading up to the order, Trump threatened to increase tariffs on Canada and other trading partners if new trade deals were not reached. Trump signed the order to increase Canada’s tariff on July 31.
What about Canadian tariffs?
As the trade war has progressed, the Canadian government has imposed 25 per cent counter-tariffs of its own, beginning March 4 with a slate of levies on $30 billion in U.S. imports, followed by another $29.8 billion on March 13.
In April, Canada imposed tariffs on non-CUSMA-compliant vehicles from the United States, as well as the non-Canadian and non-Mexican components of otherwise CUSMA-compliant automobiles.
In the wake of Trump’s latest tariff increase, Prime Minister Mark Carney said that amid continuing negotiations with the United States, Canada will be “focused on what we can control: building Canada strong.”
“Canadians will be our own best customer, creating more well-paying careers at home, as we strengthen and diversify our trading partnerships throughout the world,” he wrote in a post to X Friday. “We can give ourselves more than any foreign government can ever take away.”
With files from The Canadian Press
