Canada's counter-tariffs on US goods

What got tariffed, and what to buy instead

New Canadian surtaxes on US-made goods take effect September 8, 2026. Every rate here is read off the official tariff-item list rather than from reporting about it, which is why four categories widely described as tariffed appear here marked not on the list. Alternatives included, with an honest account of where each one is actually manufactured.

The one thing worth understanding

The tariff follows the factory, not the logo. These surtaxes apply to goods of US origin under country-of-origin rules. They do not apply to companies. An American brand that manufactures in Mexico is not tariffed. A German or Korean brand that manufactures in North Carolina or Tennessee is.

That means "avoid American brands" is the wrong rule, and it will cost you money in both directions. Most of the entries below exist to show you where that instinct misfires.

The second thing: a targeted sector is not a tariffed product. The announcement named appliances, electronics and personal care. The list that actually carries legal force names individual tariff items, and it is narrower than the sector language suggests. Soap, toothpaste, deodorant and skincare were widely reported as covered and are not on it. Neither are televisions, shampoo, or complete dishwashers. Each entry below shows the exact tariff items its rate comes from, so you can check. The eight sharpest of those gaps are collected in the counter-tariff gap, a short brief with the item number behind every claim.

Rates shown are as of August 25, 2026. They will change. A comparable round of counter-tariffs in 2025 was largely reversed within months, so treat these as current conditions rather than a permanent state of affairs. For anything commercial, use the official Department of Finance list and Canada's Customs Tariff, not this site.

How to read the labels

Made in Canada
Manufactured in Canada.
Not US-made
Made outside the United States, so outside these tariffs, but not Canadian-made. Still a valid answer, just not the same answer.
Depends on the model
The brand builds the same product in more than one country, including the US. The unit in the box decides.
Origin unconfirmed
Where it is manufactured could not be established.
Confirmed by the maker
The manufacturer states it on their own site or in their own press material.
Reported by a third party
Someone credible says so, or the maker claims it in general terms without specifics.
Not verified
Recorded as an absence of evidence. Shown rather than hidden, because a directory that quietly guesses is worse than one that admits the gap.

Tell me when the list changes

The tariff list can be amended before September 8, and remission orders usually follow a round of counter-tariffs. When something here changes, you get one email saying what changed and why - not a newsletter.

Stored on this site's own infrastructure, not sent to a third-party mailing service, and never shared or sold. Reply to any email to be removed.