World

United States suspends 50% surtaxes on Canada for three days after last-minute deal

Herz — World Desk · 19 August 2026 at 05:25 · 30s summary · 1 min read

The essentials

The United States suspended 50% customs surtaxes on Canada on August 19, 2026, just hours before they were due to take effect on Wednesday morning. The three-day pause follows a last-minute agreement between the two countries. The levies would have covered roughly $20 billion in Canadian imports, including cement, ice hockey sticks and beer. The temporary suspension leaves the long-term trade dispute unresolved, but gives Washington and Ottawa a brief window to continue negotiations.

50% U.S. surtaxes on Canada suspended on August 19, 2026
Three-day suspension tied to a last-minute bilateral agreement
Around $20 billion in Canadian imports would have been affected
Targeted products included cement, ice hockey sticks and beer

What we know

The United States suspended 50% customs surtaxes on Canada on August 19, 2026, just before they were scheduled to take effect on Wednesday morning, according to Le Monde. The suspension lasts three days and follows an agreement reached between the two countries.

The suspended surtaxes would have applied to roughly $20 billion in Canadian imports. Products targeted included cement, ice hockey sticks and beer.