Industry insiders say companies are opting to wait and see as the clock ticks down on U.S. President Donald Trump's latest deadline, rather than rushing shipments across the border to beat the buzzer. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump speak at a working luncheon during the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov
Anxious Canadian firms bet Trump will buckle ahead of 50% tariff deadline
Aug 14, 2026 | 2:00 AM
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MONTREAL — Industry insiders say companies are opting to wait and see as the clock ticks down on U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff deadline, rather than rushing shipments across the border to beat the buzzer.
A new round of 50 per cent tariffs on nearly US$20 billion worth of Canadian goods ranging from dairy to down jackets is set to take effect Aug. 19.
Unlike most of Trump’s other tariffs, the duties would not exempt goods that comply with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement, widely known as CUSMA.
Nonetheless, Janine Harker, who heads the Canadian Society of Customs Brokers, says business owners have avoided front-loading their shipments and settled into a posture of “watchful waiting.”
