US bans nearly €1 billion of Canadian imports including booze and motorcycles

The United States has implemented a ban on almost $1 billion (£≈€ 870 million) worth of Canadian imports, covering alcoholic drinks, dairy products and motorcycles, effective from 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday.

The move escalates the ongoing trade dispute between the two neighbours, whose bilateral trade totals about $880 billion annually. The ban follows President Donald Trump’s earlier decision to impose 50 % tariffs on roughly $20 billion of Canadian goods, prompting reciprocal duties from Canada.

According to trade attorney Patrick Childress, the ban is unlikely to change the overall tension, noting that many of the affected items were already subject to high tariffs that made importation uneconomical. The American Action Forum estimates the ban covers $967 million of Canadian exports, 87 % of which are alcoholic beverages targeted after some Canadian provinces barred US booze.

Other prohibited items include certain dairy products such as whey and three‑wheel Can‑Am Spyder and Canyon motorcycles from Bombardier Recreational Products in Quebec. BRP says the impact will be felt next year as most production for the current season has already been shipped.

Analysts warn the ban could prompt further retaliation and complicate efforts to renew the US‑Mexico‑Canada Agreement, which currently allows most goods to move duty‑free across the region.

Source: ABC News. Photo: Bingqian Li / Pexels.