Toronto, August 18, 2026
Absent a last-minute deal, the U.S. will impose a 50-percent duty beginning 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time tonight on a broad range of Canadian-origin goods, including electronics, industrial machinery, furniture, dairy products, alcoholic beverages (wine, beer, spirits), clothing, and hundreds of more products (excluding energy, potash, and critical minerals, etc.).
Important: Importers should be aware the 12:01 a.m. Eastern time refers to when shipments are imported and customs cleared into the U.S.. For cross-border shipments this means the time the driver actually crosses the border and is customs released – shipments cannot be pre-cleared, prior to crossing, to avoid the tariffs.
If implemented, the 50-percent tariff will apply to the named goods regardless if those goods are qualified under CUSMA/USMCA (previous tariff actions included an exemption but not this round).
The listed goods may be found in the following (3) lists:
- List 1 (product list)
- List 2 (product list)
- List 3 (product list)
If you are unsure whether your products fall under any of the three Annexes, our US Customs Consulting Services regulatory team can help you work through the classifications. Reach out to Brian Rowe, Director, Customs Compliance & Regulatory Affairs, or your Universal Logistics representative.
