The Cross-Border Brief · Live tariff intelligence
Where Canada–US tariffs actually stand right now.
As of August 4, 2026 · kept current as the tariff picture moves · this is a plain-English snapshot, not legal or customs advice.
The tariff picture has moved fast and it is not symmetric — the two directions look very different. Here is the whole thing on one page, so you are never blindsided by a charge you did not see coming.
Canada → US (US-bound)Elevated
A 50% US surtax took effect Aug 19, 2026 on three lists of Canadian goods — under a first-ever use of Section 338 — and it applies even to CUSMA-compliant shipments.
Broadly affected
furniture & home goodselectronics & telecombuilding materialsplastics & packagingclothing, footwear & luggagemachinerydairy & agriculturewine, beer & spiritstoys & sporting goods
Exempt
energypotashcritical mineralsfishgoods already under separate US tariffs
Steel, aluminum and copper also carry a 50% Section 232 tariff. And the US de-minimis threshold (small, low-value shipments cleared duty-free) was eliminated Aug 29, 2026 — low-value shipments now face duties too.
US → Canada (Canada-bound)Lighter
Canada pulled back most of its retaliation. The broad 25% counter-tariff on US goods is gone — only a narrow band remains.
Still tariffed (25%)
US steelUS aluminumUS autos & auto parts
Everything else
no counter-tariffnormal duty — often 0% under CUSMA+ 5% GST on the duty-paid value
So a typical US→Canada shipment is mostly duty + 5% GST today — the heavy exposure sits on the US-bound side.
What to watch
- It's fluid. The US 50% took legal effect Aug 19 and Ottawa and Washington are still negotiating — it can move again.
- Your HS code decides everything. Whether your product lands on a list, and at what rate, comes down to its exact classification — the most common thing shippers get quietly wrong.
- CUSMA origin still matters for the base duty — even though the 50% overrides it on the listed goods. Keep your certificate of origin in order.
- De-minimis is gone (US-bound). "It's low-value, it's fine" is no longer true.
The honest part: your exact exposure depends on your product's HS classification and its CUSMA origin status, and these lists change often. This brief is current-situation intelligence, not a per-shipment ruling — we confirm your exact number on a quote.