Overview

• Effective Sept. 1, Ottawa will lift 25% counter-tariffs on U.S. goods that meet USMCA rules of origin, mirroring Washington’s carve-out.
• Tariffs on steel, aluminum and automobiles will remain as Canada pursues resolutions in those sectors it calls strategic.
• The announcement followed a Carney–Trump phone call described by Ottawa as productive, with both sides planning to intensify negotiations.
• A White House official welcomed the rollback as “long overdue,” while opposition leader Pierre Poilievre and Unifor’s Lana Payne condemned it as backing down.
• Officials say more than 85% of Canada–U.S. trade is already tariff-free and the U.S. average tariff on Canadian goods is about 5.6%, as Canada readies for the USMCA review.