Canada targets steel, fish and hundreds of other goods as Trump trade war escalates

CHICAGO (AP) — Canada has pledged to roll out “dollar-for-dollar” countertariffs on scores of U.S. goods next month in response to President Donald Trump’s latest import taxes, which have plunged the North American neighbors deeper into a bitter trade war.

Ottawa released a list of more than 700 targets Tuesday. Starting Sept. 8, Canada’s government says it will impose steeper import taxes on goods ranging from fish and cheese to smartphones and steel imported from the United States.

Canada said it was focusing its retaliation on products “most affected by U.S. tariffs.” The levies will be set at 15%, 25% or 50% — rates that the government said would match U.S. tariffs on goods targeted in Washington’s latest round as well as products covered by previously imposed sectoral duties.

Tuesday’s announcement came just days after the Trump administration’s 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion of Canadian goods, ranging from honey to hockey sticks, took effect. That represents just 5% of the value of goods Canada sent to the U.S. last year, but the punishing rate comes on top of a series of tariffs Trump has imposed on the country during his second term in office. More threats of escalation have piled up in the meantime. As a result, businesses—and, by extension, households—on both sides of the border could soon feel the strain of even higher prices.

Here’s a recap of some of the affected products.

Canada details retaliation plans for U.S. steel, fish and more

Canada plans to impose steeper tariffs on hundreds of U.S. products starting Sept. 8.

Many of the goods are highly specific and mirror products on which Washington began imposing 50% tariffs over the weekend. The list also includes products made of steel and aluminum, which already face a 50% U.S. sectoral tariff on most imports globally, although some goods qualify for lower duties under an adjustment rolled out by the White House earlier this year.

Some of the many U.S. items Canada is now targeting include:

1. Live and frozen fish, crustaceans, oysters and mussels

2. Cheese and curd products

3. Natural honey, molasses and baking mixtures

4. Perfume, makeup and hair preparations

5. Carpets and other floor coverings

6. Toilet paper, facial tissues and envelopes

7. T-shirts, jackets, coats and gloves

8. Various metal products made of steel or aluminum, including wire, rods, pipes and foil

9. Stoves, ranges, refrigerators and other household appliances

10. Smartphones and video game consoles

11. Motorcycles and trailers

12. Fishing rods and exercise equipment

The new tariffs on these products will carry rates of 15%, 25% or 50%. Canada’s tariffs on many American products would double from 25% to 50%, with the largest share of the new measures affecting steel and aluminum.

U.S. already slapped a long list of Canadian goods with new tariffs

The Trump administration already outlined its own lengthy list of more than 550 Canadian products that are now subject to 50% tariffs. That list includes natural honey, vegetable seeds and flower bulbs; alcoholic beverages such as beer and vermouth; ice skates and other sports accessories; various household goods; and smartphones.

Trump imposed the tariffs by reaching back to a long-dormant Great Depression-era law. Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which has never been used before, authorizes the president to impose import taxes of up to 50% on goods from countries that have discriminated against U.S. businesses.

Trump claimed that Canada discriminated against U.S. autos, alcohol and dairy products, particularly following the implementation of his earlier import taxes last year. It’s worth noting that the list of Canadian goods facing the latest levy is far more diverse.

More threats of escalation pile up

Threats of stronger countermeasures and further escalation have continued to pile up—and it’s possible that even more products could face steeper import taxes down the road.

Trump took to social media Monday to say that his administration would also increase tariffs on Canadian cars, trucks, automotive parts and steel to 50% starting Jan. 1, 2027. Like other countries, Canada currently faces a broader 25% tariff on autos. A 50% sectoral tariff on most steel imports is already in effect.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the auto-sector proposal would “gradually dismantle” Canadian production. He also accused Washington of trying to subordinate Canada and said U.S. demands during the failed talks showed that Americans wanted to “destroy our major industries.”

Beyond tariffs, Trump added another provocation Tuesday, saying the United States was giving “serious consideration” to renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America” amid a feud with Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Ford told The Associated Press this week that his province would be ready to cut off electricity and critical minerals to the U.S. if the trade war worsens.

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AP Writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.