Bradford West Gwillimbury, Ontario · Last updated 31 August 2026
U.S. tariffs: what changed, and what to do now.
Trade conditions have changed substantially in 2026. This page sets out what is in effect today, what has been announced, and where businesses in the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury can get help.
Two dates to watch.
If you export to the United States or buy American inputs, read these two items first. Both carry near-term deadlines.
8 September 2026
Canada's counter-tariffs take effect
The Canadian tariff on U.S. steel and aluminum, and on many products made from those metals, rises from 25 to 50 per cent. If you buy American metal, components, resins or equipment, your input costs change on that date whether or not you export anything. Goods already in transit on 8 September are exempt.
1 January 2027
Announced increase, not yet settled
On 24 August 2026 the United States announced that tariffs on all cars, trucks, automotive parts and steel from Canada will rise to 50 per cent, with no tariff on production based in the United States. No order has been published and several terms remain undefined, including whether the CUSMA treatment of automotive parts survives. Treat this as announced, not settled.
What is in effect today.
Four measures apply right now. Coverage is set at the individual tariff line, so check your own classifications rather than assuming your sector is in or out.
CUSMA compliance does not exempt goods on the Section 338 list
This is a departure from earlier rounds, and it caught a number of exporters off guard. If your product is on the Section 338 list, it faces the duty even if it meets CUSMA rules of origin. Confirm your tariff lines with a licensed customs broker before you ship.
Section 232
50 per cent on articles made wholly of steel, aluminum or copper. 25 per cent on derivative products. 25 per cent on automobiles and parts, applied to non-U.S. content only. Section 232 also covers medium and heavy duty vehicles and parts, wood products, semiconductors and patented pharmaceuticals.
Section 338
An additional 50 per cent on roughly $27.6 billion (CAD) of Canadian goods, across more than 550 tariff subheadings. Coverage reaches plastics and packaging, chemicals, rubber components, cement and concrete, plywood and engineered panels, gypsum board, furniture, machinery and electrical equipment, among many others. Energy and potash are excluded entirely, as are goods already dutiable under Section 232.
Section 301
10 per cent on Canadian-origin goods, replacing the expired Section 122 surcharge. Goods entered duty-free under CUSMA are exempt, as are goods already covered by Section 232.
Canadian counter-tariffs
Rates of 15, 25 or 50 per cent on roughly $27.6 billion of U.S. goods, mirroring the American rate applied to the equivalent Canadian good. Around 700 product lines, centred on steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, and electronics.
What to do now.
Five steps, in the order we would take them. If you only do one, do the first.
- Check your own tariff lines. Section 338 coverage is set at the 8- and 10-digit tariff line, not by sector. A measure named for one industry reaches hundreds of unrelated product lines. Do not assume your category is in or out. Confirm your classifications with a licensed customs broker.
- Maintain CUSMA certification even where it does not exempt you. A good on a Section 338 list faces 50 per cent. If it is not entered under a CUSMA claim, it faces 50 per cent plus the 10 per cent Section 301 duty. Certification is still worth 10 percentage points of duty.
- Review the Canadian counter-tariff list as carefully as the American one. If you import American inputs, 8 September is a hard date.
- Check whether you are newly eligible for support. Eligibility widened in three places in August 2026. Firms that did not qualify in earlier rounds may qualify now. See the programs below.
- Ask about duty recovery. CBSA Duties Relief and Duty Drawback may apply where goods are re-exported. Separately, duties collected under earlier measures between 24 February and 24 July 2026 may become refundable, depending on the outcome of U.S. litigation. If you paid those duties, ask your broker about eligibility. Filing windows are administered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and are time-sensitive.
Local manufacturers are carrying most of the cost of these measures. Support has widened in 2026, and firms that did not qualify before may qualify now.
Support from the Government of Canada.
Current as at 31 August 2026. Program terms are changing frequently, so confirm details on the official page before you apply.
Regional Tariff Response Initiative
Expanded again in the 25 August 2026 package. Non-repayable contributions are now capped at $3 million, up from $1 million, and extended to cover demonstrated liquidity needs as well as capital plans. Repayable contributions go to $10 million.
BDC Pivot to Grow
A second $500 million liquidity stream was added on 25 August 2026. Loans run from $250,000 to $5 million, interest-only over 36 months, with a simplified application. The annual revenue threshold has dropped to $1 million, bringing in firms that were previously too small to qualify.
Canada Strong Diversification Fund
Effective immediately, for shovel-ready projects including ongoing capital maintenance. Open to medium-sized firms, with a fast-track single-step review coordinated through the regional development agencies.
Workforce Retention and Retraining Program
Merges EI Work-Sharing and the Worker Retention Grant into one offering, with up to $1,000 per participant toward training and administration. If you are weighing layoffs against holding your workforce, look at this one first.
Employment Insurance measures
The one-week waiting period waiver and the separation-payment measure are extended a further year. The additional 20 weeks for long-tenured workers is extended eight months.
Productivity Super-Deduction
A full first-year write-off on manufacturing and processing buildings acquired on or after 4 November 2025 and in use before 2030, plus immediate expensing of manufacturing and processing machinery and equipment.
Buy Canadian Policy
Federal departments must prioritise Canadian suppliers and Canadian content. The strategic procurement threshold fell from $25 million to $5 million on 15 June 2026, bringing many more contracts within reach of mid-sized manufacturers. Federal construction and defence projects of $25 million or more must use Canadian-produced steel, aluminum and wood.
Canada's response to U.S. tariffs
Product lists, countermeasure details and remission information from the Department of Finance.
Duty relief and classification tools
Support from the Province.
Current as at 31 August 2026. Check the official page for intake status before you apply.
Protect Ontario Financing Program
Up to $1 billion in working capital loans covering payroll, lease and utility payments. Eligibility was broadened on 24 August 2026 to cover firms affected by the new Section 338 measure as well as those already exposed under Section 232.
Ontario Together Trade Fund
Up to $5 million or 75 per cent of eligible costs for market diversification, capacity expansion, reshoring and localisation.
Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit
Tax relief on qualifying capital investment in buildings, machinery and equipment used in manufacturing or processing.
Buy Ontario Act and Procurement Directive
Applies across the provincial and broader public sector, requiring Ontario and Canadian goods and services to be prioritised. A parallel Municipal Directive applies to municipalities.
Trade-Impacted Communities Program
$40 million, open to municipalities, economic development organisations and sector associations for projects that build local economic resilience. Check the program page for the next intake.
What BWG is doing.
In November 2025 the Town convened 11 local manufacturers with senior government officials and industry representatives to hear directly what tariffs were doing to their operations. Mayor Leduc issued a Letter of Support on their behalf, endorsed by the participating companies and delivered to 18 federal, provincial, regional and agency recipients.
Following the August 2026 escalation, the Mayor has written to the Prime Minister, the Premier, federal and provincial ministers, our Member of Parliament, the County of Simcoe and neighbouring municipalities. The point we are pressing hardest is clarity on the CUSMA treatment of automotive parts, which is the largest single unknown facing manufacturers here.
Local firms are already diversifying.
43
Exporting establishments in the Town, 2024
$250.3M
Goods exports, 2024
82.8%
Of those exports went to the United States
41.6%
Growth in exports to markets outside the United States
Tell us how tariffs are affecting your business.
The survey takes about four minutes. We use responses in aggregate to quantify local impact and to shape what the Town asks of government. We do not name individual businesses in correspondence with government without permission.
Take the surveyWe will work through it with you.
Contact the Office of Economic Development. We will help you work out what your business qualifies for and connect you to the right program contact.
Disclaimer
This page is provided for general information. It is not legal, tax or customs advice. Trade measures are changing quickly and coverage is set at the individual tariff line. Always confirm your own position with a licensed customs broker and your professional advisors, and verify details against the official sources linked above. If you need help working through what this means for your products or supply chain, contact us. We will work through it with you.