OTTAWA - Canada has extended its horizontal tariff relief for U.S. tariffs by one year, to June 30, 2028, giving Surrey manufacturers, importers and logistics firms more time to plan around the cost of American goods.
Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne announced the changes on November 9, 2026. The extension is in place effective November 9, 2026, and covers the broad remission that refunds or waives the counter-tariffs Canada applies to a wide range of U.S. imports.
The relief is also being widened in two areas. It will now include non-steel goods used in mining, quarrying or oil and gas extraction, and all goods used by public education entities, including those mandated by Indigenous organizations.
At the same time, the government is removing horizontal relief for certain goods it has identified as having domestic production in Canada. The removal takes effect December 1, 2026, for certain trailers, and February 1, 2027, for certain aluminum wire and extrusions and paperboard products. The government said the lead time is intended to let importers adjust their supply chains or seek case-by-case remission.
Targeted tariff relief remains available for certain imported goods in short supply in Canada and for certain companies facing exceptional circumstances, such as pre-existing contractual obligations. Detailed product schedules will be published on the Department of Finance website and incorporated by reference into the Orders.
“By adjusting our tariff relief measures, we are helping our businesses staying competitive, encouraging the use of Canadian-made goods, and protecting our industries and workers most impacted by the unfair U.S. tariffs,” Champagne said.
The extension matters for Surrey because the city is home to a large manufacturing, warehousing and trade sector, and many local firms import American inputs, equipment and materials. A year of continued relief means those businesses can keep importing at lower cost while they look for Canadian suppliers or adjust their sourcing. The removals, however, mean importers of the affected trailers, aluminum products and paperboard will need to act before the December and February deadlines, either by switching to domestic supply or by applying for remission on a case-by-case basis.
The remission framework dates back to March 4, 2025, when the government announced a system for granting relief where imported goods were in short supply in Canada or where companies faced exceptional circumstances. Time-limited horizontal remission began on April 16, 2025. On September 8, 2026, the government added counter-tariffs of 15 to 50 percent on a range of U.S. imports, raising the stakes for businesses that rely on American goods.
The Department of Finance is the federal department responsible for the government’s economic and fiscal policy, including tariffs and trade remedies. Its remission orders set out which goods qualify for relief and under what conditions, and it publishes the product schedules that businesses use to check whether their imports are covered.
Surrey businesses that import from the United States should check the updated schedules on the Department of Finance website to confirm whether their goods remain covered, and note the December 1, 2026, and February 1, 2027, dates for the goods losing horizontal relief.
(Source: Department of Finance Canada, November 9, 2026)
