Trump signs proclamations imposing outright import bans on specified Canadian goods from 29 September, escalating US-Canada trade war under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930

On 8 September 2026, President Trump issued three proclamations excluding specified Canadian goods from the United States market entirely, with prohibitions taking effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on 29 September 2026. The measures represent an escalation of earlier additional duties imposed under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which had themselves taken effect on 22 August after a brief three-day suspension. The outright bans cover: designated alcoholic beverages including beer, wine, cider, whiskies, rum, gin, vodka, liqueurs, tequila, mezcal and other spirits packaged for direct consumption; motorcycles and similar cycles with reciprocating internal-combustion engines exceeding 800 cubic centimetres (classified under HTSUS subheading 8711.50.00); and specified dairy-adjacent products including whey protein concentrates, forms of modified and dried whey, certain molasses products, and non-alcoholic beer. Separate proclamations issued on the same date modify, from 15 September 2026, which products remain subject to the earlier 50% additional duties. Canada had imposed retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion of American goods on 8 September, prompting the White House to characterise the outright bans as a proportionate response to continued discriminatory treatment of US commerce. The administration also directed the General Services Administration to remove Canadian products from federal government vendor schedules. The measures raise significant international trade law questions. Article XI:1 of the (GATT 1994) generally prohibits import restrictions other than duties. The Canada-specific character of the prohibitions also engages Article XIII:1 of the and Article 2.11 of the (USMCA), which incorporates Article XI's constraints into the regional treaty.