President Donald Trump told a rally in Port Huron, Michigan, that a trade deal with Canada would be settled "pretty soon," nine days before US midterm elections. He gave no specifics on timing or terms.
"I had to do it," Trump said of the tariffs, before telling the Michigan crowd that Canada is "willing to give us anything at this moment."
Talks between the two countries broke down in August, and Washington responded with tariffs on around $20B worth of Canadian goods, from hockey sticks to cement.
Canada matched with duties on an equivalent amount of American products, and Trump answered with levies of up to 50% on certain goods. The office of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney didn't immediately comment on the rally remarks.
The tariff list gets reshuffled
The White House scrapped 50% duties on some Canadian paper and plastic products, refrigeration and packaging equipment, agricultural machinery, and seaweed products.
It added new Section 338 tariffs on goods including shampoos, cocoa powder, carpets, window air conditioners, archery equipment, and canoes under 7.5 meters, citing Canada's discriminatory treatment of US commerce. The changes take effect at the end of the month.
KPMG Law trade lawyer Robert Glasgow said more items went on the list than came off, and that a broader deal is unlikely within weeks.
US-Canada tariff and trade measures (as of Oct. 2026 reporting)
| Measure | Rate or value | Goods covered |
|---|---|---|
| August US tariffs after talks broke down | ~$20B of goods | Hockey sticks to cement |
| Canada counter-tariffs (equivalent round) | ~$20B of US products | Equivalent American products |
| Canada total counter-tariffs in place | $27.6B of US imports | Steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, electronics |
| Section 338 / retaliatory tariff rate | 50% | Shampoos, cocoa powder, carpets, vinyl flooring, window air conditioners, archery equipment, canoes under 7.5 m |
| Steel and aluminum tariffs (March 2025, raised June 2025) | 25% then 50% | Canadian steel and aluminum |
| US goods trade deficit with Canada (US Trade Representative) | $48.3B | All goods |
Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins secured the exemptions after telling the administration how the duties hit her state's blueberry, potato, and apple growers. She's in a tight re-election race against Democrat Troy Jackson, who has made the trade war a centerpiece of his campaign.
Politics is driving the timing
Trade lawyer Barry Appleton said Washington didn't lower the tariff wall, it moved some bricks around.
Michigan Republican Congressman Mike Rogers praised the tariffs for drawing manufacturing investment to his state, while saying the auto portion of the Canadian tariffs worries him.
Carney, speaking in Istanbul, said Canada isn't rushing.
Trump has claimed Canada makes $90B a year off the US, a figure his own Trade Representative contradicts with a goods deficit of $48.3B, much of it Alberta oil bought at a discount by US refineries. The US runs a consistent services surplus with Canada.
Canadian counter-tariffs now cover $27.6B of US imports, weighted toward steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, and electronics. The tariff wall stays up through the midterms, with the line items shifting around it.
