Announced August 24, the new threat targets Canada's auto sector specifically, with a January 1, 2027 start date.

Just two days after the first round of 50% tariffs took effect, President Trump announced a second 50% tariff threat — this one aimed specifically at Canadian vehicles, auto parts and steel, with a proposed start date of January 1, 2027.

Ontario responds

Ontario has put electricity exports and critical minerals back on the table as retaliation options, reviving measures the province had previously held in reserve during earlier rounds of trade tension. For an auto sector already absorbing the first tariff round, a second dedicated threat — even five months out — changes the calculus on any near-term capital investment decisions the industry might otherwise have made.