Trump signs order to remove Canadian products from U.S. federal government procurement

Trump signed a presidential memorandum on Wednesday directing U.S. federal agencies to identify and remove all Canadian-origin products from federal civil government procurement, escalating trade tensions between the two countries.

The order also directs the U.S. Trade Representative to monitor Canada's treatment of U.S.-origin goods in Canadian government procurement. The White House fact sheet stated: "President Trump is taking action to hold Canada accountable for its continued unreasonable and discriminatory treatment of U.S. goods, which has burdened and disadvantaged hard-working Americans."

The procurement move followed a ban on imports of Canadian alcohol, motorcycles and various other products issued one week earlier. Latest U.S. tariffs — 50 per cent levies on more than 100 products including specific cheeses, motorboats, all-terrain vehicles, and furniture — took effect just after midnight Tuesday.

The presidential order points to Ottawa's "Buy Canadian" policy, launched after Trump targeted Canada with tariffs and threats of annexation. The order states Canada "unreasonably imposed new barriers to United States companies seeking to access the Canadian government procurement market." Trump previously threatened the action in a social media post, calling it part of "a Canadian Trade Scam."

The procurement restrictions would affect access to goods the U.S. agreed to cover at the federal level under the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement. A White House official, speaking on background, said the procurement order was not related to the European Commission's offer of EU associate membership to Canada. Canada's Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc's office said it will "review these measures with a focus on the best interest of Canadian businesses and workers."