B.C. gets sideswiped by latest Trump tariffs
The Trump administration has announced new Section 338 tariffs that will significantly impact British Columbia's manufacturing sector. These duties, which lack USMCA exemptions, target a wide range of industrial goods and are expected to hit B.C. harder than any other Canadian province.
Why it matters
The tariffs represent a major escalation in trade tensions that could destabilize regional economies and disrupt cross-border supply chains.
A sidewinder tug moves logs outside of the Western Forest Products (WFP) sawmill in Ladysmith, B.C. in March, 2025. James MacDonald/The Globe and Mail
The Trump administration’s proposed tariffs threaten to deliver a harsh blow to British Columbia’s economy, hitting a variety of Western Canada manufacturers during this latest phase of the lengthy trade war.
The Section 338 tariffs – announced Monday evening and set to take effect Aug. 19 – would apply to roughly US$20-billion of imports from Canada, or roughly 5 per cent of Canada’s shipments to the U.S. in 2025.
If enacted, the new tariffs would apply to nearly 14 per cent of what B.C. shipped to the U.S. in 2025 – the highest concentration of any province, according to a Globe and Mail analysis of trade data. Quebec and Ontario follow at 10.8 per cent and 9 per cent, respectively.
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