Tuesday 10 Nov 2026
main news image

(Nov 10): Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government is changing the rules for importers, allowing them to apply for exemptions from Canadian tariffs on a wider range of US goods while ending relief on some American-made aluminum products. 

When US President Donald Trump began imposing tariffs on Canadian goods in March 2025, Canada responded with retaliatory levies. But Carney’s government allowed importers to request “remission” from the tariffs in some circumstances — for example, if they’re buying essential products from the US that are hard to find elsewhere. 

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Monday the government will now extend tariff relief for “non-steel goods” made in the US and used in Canadian mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction, as well as some other items. 

Companies in those categories will be eligible for tariff remission until June 30, 2028. 

The remission program is already so broad that most of the counter-tariffs Canada applies on US shipments haven’t actually resulted in revenue for the government.

From March 2025 through October 26, 2026, Canada assessed C$14.1 billion (US$10 billion) worth of tariffs on products from the US. But C$8.9 billion was “remitted or relieved” to mitigate the hit to Canada, leaving net revenue of C$5.2 billion, according to a disclosure last week by the government. 

Products used by some public health, education, safety and national security organizations also will be exempt from tariffs until June 2028, the government said Monday.

At the same time, Champagne also announced the end of tariff remission on a list of other products to encourage purchases from Canadian manufacturers. 

Tariff relief will no longer be available on some US-made trailers as of Dec 1, nor on types of aluminum wire, pipes, tubes, or some paperboard products, from Feb 1, 2027. That’s “to incentivize the use of domestic inputs,” the Department of Finance said in a statement.

Canada doubled counter-tariffs on many US aluminium products to 50% on Sept 8, while still allowing Canadian buyers to request relief. Some Canadian aluminium manufacturers, already facing export challenges due to hefty US duties, have said that the remission programme leaves them at a disadvantage in pursuing domestic sales. 

“By adjusting our tariff relief measures, we are helping our businesses staying competitive, encouraging the use of Canadian-made goods, and protecting our industries and workers most impacted by the unfair US tariffs,” Champagne said in the statement.

Uploaded by Liza Shireen Koshy

      Print
      Text Size
      Share