Trump signs memorandum to block Canadian goods from US federal procurement

US President Donald Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum to take steps to remove Canadian-origin goods from the US federal civil procurement system, escalating trade tensions with Canada.Trump directed the Office of Management and Budget and the US Trade Representative, in coordination with the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council, to identify Canadian-origin products and take steps to remove them from the list of goods available for purchase by the federal government.The US Trade Representative has also been directed to monitor Canada’s treatment of US-origin goods in its government procurement system.The Trump administration said the move was in response to what it described as Canada’s “unreasonable and discriminatory treatment” of US goods and restrictions on US companies seeking access to Canadian federal and provincial procurement markets.“Canada has received preferential access to the US market for years, while doubling down on and continuing its unfair treatment of US commerce,” the administration said.According to the…