Canada Adds More Items to List of Counter-Tariffs on US After Removing Seafood

Ottawa is substituting its counter-tariffs on seafood with 50 percent duties on a range of other American products, the Finance Department says.

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne’s office has added five new items to its list of dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs targeting hundreds of different U.S. products beginning on Sept. 8.

Copper wire and wood charcoal have also been added to the list along with printed matter, including printed pictures or photographs; articles of plaster or of compositions based on plaster, including boards, sheets and tiles; and materials used in the conveyance or packing of goods, including bottles, flasks, jars, and pots, the finance ministry said in a statement to the media.

“This decision was made in the interest of strengthening Canada’s sectors and our tariff response—and to better match the American tariffs dollar for dollar, rate for rate,” finance ministry press secretary John Fragos said in the statement.

The new additions come after the government opted to remove seafood from its counter-tariff list.

Canada was set to impose 25 percent tariffs on fish and seafood, including trout, carp, tuna, lobster, oysters, shrimp, and salmon, but has since removed all seafood from the list after input from the industry.

Champagne told reporters during an Aug. 27 press briefing that the decision to remove Canada’s tariffs on U.S. seafood was “the “right thing to do in the interest of Canada.”

“That’s what we always strive to do when it comes to the measures,” he said, adding that listening to feedback can result in lists being updated “from time to time.”

Champagne and Industry Minister Mélanie Joly announced on Aug. 25 the lengthy list of items that would be subject to just shy of CA$28 billion (US$20 billion) in retaliatory tariffs.

Champagne said Canadian tariffs will be introduced on a sliding scale of 15, 25, and 50 percent, with the highest levies applied to specific dairy products, cosmetics, and select lumber products.

Ottawa has said the counter-tariffs are meant to shield domestic businesses from American competition while also serving a political purpose by putting pressure on affected states to urge the White House to remove its tariffs.

The list was announced just days after Canada and the United States failed to finalize a trade deal late last week, after which Washington imposed tariffs on US$20 billion worth of Canadian products. After Canada announced its plan to impose counter-tariffs, U.S. President Donald Trump said Canadian vehicles and auto parts would be subject to new 50 percent tariffs beginning in 2027.

The new U.S. tariffs, which came into force on Aug. 22, apply to a wide range of products including electronics, alcohol, dairy, paper, plastics, and furniture and affect approximately 5 percent of Canadian exports to the United States.