Canada Targets Pulp and Paper in Planned Counter-Tariffs on US Goods

Canada will include pulp and paper among the sectors targeted in a new round of counter-tariffs on US goods, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on August 22, following the suspension of the latest trade negotiations between Ottawa and Washington.

Carney said Canada would match Washington's new tariffs “dollar for dollar,” focusing its response on sectors including steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, and electronics. Products already affected by US Section 232 and 338 measures will also be included in Canada's response.

The Canadian government has not yet released a detailed list of pulp and paper products that will be covered or the tariff rates for individual tariff lines. Carney said further details would be announced in the coming days.

The measures are scheduled to take effect on September 8, 2026, the Tuesday after Labour Day.

The announcement follows the latest US tariff round, which took effect on August 19. According to the report, Carney described tariffs of 50% across a series of industries before Canada suspended the latest trade negotiations and announced its planned dollar-for-dollar response on August 22.

For forest-products companies, the practical impact will depend on the detailed tariff schedule, which is expected to identify the pulp grades, paper products or converted products covered, along with their tariff classifications and applicable rates.

At the time of publication, pulp and paper had been explicitly named as a target sector, but the specific products and tariff rates had not been released.