Trump’s trade war with Canada: A timeline of how we got here

President Donald Trump's series of tariffs and threats of additional tariffs have strained the United States' longstanding relationship with Canada. Over the course of Trump's second term, he threatened Canada's economy and sovereignty with steep new import taxes on its goods, even suggesting that Canada could become the "51st state." Trump's rhetoric, paired with his tariff volleys, has outraged Canadians, leading to retaliatory measures from the Canadian government.

In January-March 2025, Trump threatened 25% tariffs on imports from Canada, which were signed into law on February 4, 2025. Outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised retaliatory levies, but tensions were briefly cooled when Trump agreed to a 30-day pause and implemented limited tariffs on specific Canadian imports. However, the U.S. also rolled out exemptions for automakers and postponed tariffs on goods compliant with the US-Mexico Canada Agreement.

Meanwhile, Canada retaliated with tariffs worth $29.8 billion Canadian dollars ($20.7 billion) on U.S. imports. Trump announced a series of "reciprocal" tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners, though he did not impose additional levies on Canada. Legal challenges to these tariffs ensued, with a U.S. Court of International Trade ruling that Trump overstepped his authority in late May 2025. However, a federal appeals court temporarily halted that order.

Throughout 2025, Trump imposed various tariffs on auto imports and steel and aluminum, with retaliatory measures from Canada following suit. Negotiations hit a snag when Trump targeted Canada's plans to continue a tax on tech firms, but Carney quickly walked back the announcement. Trade tensions continued to bubble up in the second half of the year, with Trump threatening and then imposing a 35% tariff rate on a range of Canadian goods starting August 1, 2025.

The U.S. also imposed a new 50% levy on imported copper and eventually dropped many of its retaliatory tariffs to match U.S. exemptions for goods covered under the USMCA pact.