New U.S. bans to take effect Tuesday: Here’s what’s affected

U.S. import bans on Canadian items are set to take effect on Tuesday at 12:01 a.m., escalating tensions in an ongoing trade war between the two nations. The ban will fully prohibit the import of Canadian-made cheese, dairy products, alcoholic beverages, and motorcycles. President Trump signed the executive orders implementing the bans on September 8, citing Canada's counter-tariffs as the reason for the decision.

Canada retaliated with tariffs earlier on September 8, targeting numerous Canadian goods in response to Trump's 50% tariffs on various products. Trump also claimed Canada has continued to discriminate against U.S. autos, dairy, and vehicles, justifying the blockage of certain imports as consistent with U.S. and public interests.

Among the items affected by the ban are dozens of alcoholic beverages, including rye, whisky, wine, beer, vermouth, tequila, vodka, and rum. Canada exported $1.36 billion worth of alcoholic beverages in 2023, with 90% of exports going to the U.S. About two-thirds of that number were spirits alone. Wine Growers of Canada reported $8.3 million worth of wine was exported to the U.S. in 2025, with 57% of it being ice wine.

Beer products exported from Canada reached $28 million last year, representing around 10% of all beer produced. The U.S. is Canada's number one partner for beer exports.

Dairy trade has been a contentious issue in negotiations between Canada and the U.S., with whey being the main focus of Tuesday's ban on dairy products. Whey protein and other whey products are included on the list. The ban also exempts cane and invert molasses. The Dairy Farmers of Canada expressed concern over the escalation of trade actions but did not provide specific information about the annual value of dairy exports to the U.S. or the potential impact of the ban.

According to Statistics Canada, $700 million worth of dairy exports went to the U.S. in 2024, though it remains unclear how much of that would be affected by a full ban.

The ban also includes motorcycles, mopeds, and cycles with a cylinder capacity over 800 ccs. While the ongoing trade war may continue, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated that the U.S. remains comfortable with the current state of trade talks with Canada. Greer added that the U.S. still has a lot of other trade with Canada, including oil, gas, and potash, and emphasizes that Canada periodically expresses its desire for a deal. However, Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc did not confirm whether Canada has requested a deal.