Canada Approves C$5.6B Countertariff Relief on US Imports

OTTAWA — The Canadian federal government has approved more than 200 requests for relief from countertariffs on imports from the United States, covering goods with an estimated trade value of 5.6 billion Canadian dollars, according to documents tabled in Parliament this week.

Finance Canada records show the approvals, primarily for steel products, far exceed the 2.2 billion dollars projected in the 2025 federal budget for such tariff remissions. Officials denied 150 other requests, valued at 3.9 billion dollars, while more than 800 applications remain in a backlog awaiting decisions.

The relief measures stem from countertariffs Canada imposed in March 2025, in direct response to U.S. President Donald Trump's initiation of a trade war. Those Canadian duties targeted a range of American goods as retaliation for U.S. tariffs on Canadian exports, particularly steel and aluminum.

Last fall, Ottawa lifted many of its countertariffs in an effort to de-escalate tensions. However, duties on steel, aluminum and automobiles remain in place amid the ongoing dispute. The persistence of these tariffs has prompted businesses to seek exemptions, arguing that the measures impose undue costs on...