Trump signs additional tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum and lumber

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced additional 50% tariffs on certain Canadian supplies from hockey sticks to cement.

On July 20, the president signed three proclamations that will start tariffs on certain Canadian imports, including motor vehicles, wine and dairy products, starting Aug. 19. According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, tariffs will be enacted on nearly $20 billion worth of imports.

Tariffs will be applied to construction materials such as cement, steel, aluminum, copper, timber and lumber, according to the White House.

The taxes are meant to “offset the burden or disadvantage from a foreign country’s discrimination against or unequal imposition on the commerce of the United States,” White House officials said.

The president also directed the U.S. Department of Commerce to create an incentive program for companies that plan to expand or refurbish U.S. aluminum smelters to import aluminum at a reduced tariff rate.

The new tariffs were announced as construction and materials costs have trended higher in the last couple of years. According to the Mortenson Cost Index, metal and energy related products were more expensive due to previous tariffs, geopolitical tensions and demand. Some materials that were more expensive in early 2026 compared to past years included copper piping, copper wire and lumber.

Overall construction input prices were fell 1.1% in June but were 7.6% higher than one year earlier and nonresidential construction input prices were 7.4% earlier, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Tariff-affected commodities such as iron, steel and copper kept seeing steep price increases and higher input costs could affect profitability in the second half of 2026, said Anirban Basu, the chief economist at ABC.

July 24 is the expiration date of a 10% limited time tariff on certain materials. The tariff was made effective Feb. 24. Like the recent tariffs, that one spared goods such as energy and critical minerals. It didn’t affect existing tariffs in Canada and Mexico.

In April 2026, the president signed another proclamation enacting a 50% tariff on items made from certain metals.

According to a webpage tracking tariffs by the Associated General Contractors of America, this action includes:

• 25% tariffs on derivatives made mostly of steel aluminum and copper
• 15% tariff on industrial and electrical equipment containing steel, aluminum and copper
• 10% tariff on products made abroad, but made with American steel, aluminum and copper
• 15% tariff on agricultural and industrial equipment such as bulldozers and forklifts
• 15% tariff on HVAC systems and components