US-Canada Tariffs Take Effect Today as 100 New Product Lines Face 50% Duty

The United States has put its revised tariffs on Canadian goods into effect today. The new list took hold at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, October 30, which is 09:01 a.m. in Pakistan. The duty rate stays at 50 percent, but the list of products it covers has changed sharply: 22 product lines come off the list, and 100 new lines go on it.

This is the third change to these tariffs in three months. The original duties were set by a presidential proclamation on July 20 and took effect on August 22. The list was changed once in September, and President Donald Trump signed the latest proclamation on October 23. Our earlier story, Trump Eases Some Canada Tariffs From October 30 Ahead of US Midterms, covered the announcement.

What comes off the list

From today, 22 product lines no longer pay the extra 50 percent duty. They include plywood sheets, some paper products, refrigeration equipment, and packing crates and boxes. Plastic packing materials, food processing and packaging machinery, and farm grading equipment are also off the list.

For businesses, the clearest win is plywood. It carried the 50 percent duty through October 29, and that duty no longer applies from today. Farm groups in Canada also welcomed the removal of duties on produce packaging, such as plastic harvest crates, corrugated boxes, and berry trays.

What goes on the list

At the same time, 100 product lines are newly hit with the 50 percent duty. They include carpets and rugs, sweetened cocoa powder, shampoo and toilet soap, paints, and medium-density fibreboard (MDF). Air conditioners, chest freezers, steel valves, hand power tools, canoes, and archery equipment are also on the new list.

The White House says the duty applies whether or not a product qualifies under the US-Mexico-Canada trade deal, known as USMCA. It also stacks on top of any existing steel duties under Section 232. That means some goods now face two layers of duty at the border.

Why it matters for importers

The key point for importers is timing. The duty a shipment pays depends on the day its goods enter the United States. The same product can cost a different amount a few days apart, so firms are checking their product lists against both the old and new lists.

The first legal challenge to these tariffs was filed on October 20 at the US Court of International Trade. Nobody can say yet how that case will end or how long it will take.

What happens next

On the Canadian side, the federal government has confirmed that tractors, combines, and farm machinery repair parts qualify for zero percent tariff remission through June 30, 2027, when imported for farm production or food processing. Farm and livestock trailers, however, remain subject to a 25 percent Canadian counter-tariff.

The White House says the revised list protects American economic interests while easing burdens on domestic trade. With the US midterm elections on November 3, trade with Canada is set to stay a live political issue in the days ahead.

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