The Latest: Canada's retaliatory tariffs on $28B in U.S. goods take effect

Ottawa's retaliatory tariffs on American goods — a response to the 50 per cent tariffs Washington hit Canada with last month — took effect just after midnight EDT on Tuesday.

Here's the latest. All times eastern.

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3:42 p.m.

B.C. Premier David Eby invokes the memory of 9-11 in expressing his support for Canada's counter tariffs. Eby, dressed in a red checked overshirt, says British Columbians and Canadians came to the aid of the U.S. 25 years ago and would so again in similar circumstances, despite President Donald Trump's "insults."

He says Canadians are kind, loyal and compassionate but that should not be mistaken for weakness.

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3:01 p.m.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tells right-wing Breitbart News he thinks “we will get through this.” He repeats his claim that the U.S. offered Canada the best trade deal and he’s not sure why Prime Minister Mark Carney walked away.

He also downplays the impact of the Canadian tariffs on the American economy.

“If I were the Canadians, I would be careful because they wanted the benefits of being a state without being a state,” Bessent says. “Now that the arrangements may be splintering, everyone’s going to be coming to our side.”

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2:51 p.m.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and federal Northern Affairs Minister Rebecca Chartrand say they're standing for Team Canada.

The two pose together in a social media video holding a sign for Montreal-based aircraft maker Bombardier. On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested he would bar Bombardier sales in the United States and demanded that the company build in the U.S.

Bombardier says it has thousands of American employees in more than 20 cities across the United States.

Kinew and Chartrand say provincial and federal governments stand together — whether it's on foot, by car or by plane.

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11:39 a.m.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is repeating his calls for Parliament to reopen early to debate Canada's retaliatory tariffs on the United States.

Poilievre says Canadians are already struggling with the cost of living, and are being left in the dark by the prime minister on how much economic harm those tariffs will have on the country.

He's also repeating calls for the text of the failed trade deal between Canada and the United States to be released.

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11:03 a.m.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says Canada's retaliatory tariffs are "necessary to respond to the unjustified tariffs" from the United States. But he also says both countries must not forget that tariffs and counter-tariffs increase costs for businesses and consumers on both sides of the border.

He says Saskatchewan didn't ask for this trade fight but will stand up for its people and industries, including opening new markets and strengthening trade relationships.

He is also urging negotiators for both countries to return to the table to get the best deal.

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10:22 a.m.

CBC News reports that U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will consider imposing retaliatory tariffs on Canadian goods as early as today.

The outlet also reports Greer is set to speak with U.S.-Canada Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc today.

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10:15 a.m.

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette is urging Quebecers to shop local and warns the coming months are likely to be tough for the province's economy.

In a social media post, Fréchette says the provincial government will also prioritize local businesses "like never before" in its contracts and purchases.

She says Quebecers' money must put Quebecers to work and that there are only two choices when faced with a bully: bow down or stand tall.

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10 a.m.

The Canadian American Business Council says it is deeply concerned by the escalation of the tariff war.

The non-partisan council says tariffs disrupt long-standing business relations on both sides of the border and increase costs and uncertainty.

The council says it's encouraging both governments to return to constructive negotiations and reach a deal on trade.

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9 a.m.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is warning Canadians the country's pivot away from the United States will come at a cost — but insists the alternative would be far worse.

In a national video address released hours after Canada's retaliatory tariffs kicked in, Carney discussed Canada's plan to respond to the U.S. trade war by striking new trade deals with other countries.

The video is the latest in a series Carney launched last spring to update Canadians on the government's polices and its response to U.S. trade actions.

Carney said the goal of those policies is to make Canada stronger and more resilient so that "no country can ever hold us hostage, and that we can live how we want to live."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 8, 2026.

By The Canadian Press Staff | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.