Canadian exporters have two different U.S. customs changes to check. September 15 changed the additional duties on certain goods. September 29 brings import bans on specified Canadian products. The dates are tied to different events, so a shipment’s departure date alone will not tell you which rules apply.
Start with the product’s U.S. tariff classification and origin. Then ask your broker to confirm the relevant import or consumption-entry date before changing a shipment, accepting an order or updating a landed-cost quote.
Two changes to check
- September 15, 2026: duty changes. The revised coverage applies to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, from 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on September 15.
- September 29, 2026: import bans. Specified Canadian goods in the annexes to the three ban proclamations are excluded from importation from 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on September 29. The proclamations include transitional treatment for goods imported before the cutoff.
These are targeted measures. A product’s broad category, or the fact that it ships from Canada, does not by itself establish coverage.
Which products face an import ban?
The September 8 actions cover specified products under three separate proclamations: 11061, concerning alcoholic beverages; 11062, concerning dairy; and 11063, concerning motor vehicles.
The annex to each proclamation defines the affected goods. Use those tariff lines to check your products rather than assuming that every alcoholic beverage, dairy product or vehicle is prohibited. The subject named in a proclamation is not a substitute for its product list.
A ban cannot be addressed simply by budgeting a higher duty. For a covered shipment that misses the cutoff, have your broker and freight team confirm the permitted options before it leaves Canada.
Import date and entry date are different
The ban proclamations distinguish goods imported before September 29 from goods imported on or after that date. Covered goods imported before the cutoff but not yet entered for consumption remain subject to the existing 50 per cent additional duty under the applicable earlier proclamation.
That means completing customs clearance before September 29 is not the only question. Departure from Canada is not the test either. Confirm the legally relevant import date and supporting transport records with your broker; an estimated arrival time is a planning input, not proof that the transition applies.
For example, goods confirmed as imported on September 26 may qualify for the transition even if the consumption entry occurs in October. Goods shipped from Canada on September 25 but imported on October 2 would not qualify on the strength of the departure date alone.
For goods in a bonded warehouse or foreign-trade zone, have your broker verify the applicable status, dates and entry treatment. Do not assume that a warehouse or zone admission automatically resolves the ban question.
The zero per cent treatment narrowed on September 15
CBP’s September 11 guidance, CSMS 69851916, limits eligibility for the zero per cent Section 338 treatment under HTSUS 9903.03.15 to goods subject to 9903.03.13. Goods subject to 9903.03.12 or 9903.03.14 can no longer use that treatment.
An affected product may therefore move from zero to 50 per cent additional Section 338 duty. This is not a statement that its total duty is 50 per cent. Other applicable duties and charges still need to be checked.
The same CBP bulletin identifies 122 added classifications, ten removals and unchanged coverage under 9903.03.13. Its attached list is the working reference. Check additions, removals and relief provisions against each actual tariff line.
Ask your broker: “Which Section 338 heading applies to our goods, and were we using 9903.03.15?” That gives the review a specific starting point.
Does CUSMA qualification remove the exposure?
Do not assume a CUSMA or USMCA preference claim exempts a covered product from these measures. The ban proclamations do not provide a general exemption for qualifying goods. Origin documentation and preferential-duty claims still matter, but the additional measures require their own coverage check.
What to send your broker and freight team
- Product and origin details. Provide the HTSUS classification, product description and origin evidence for each line. Flag goods with mixed inputs or uncertain classifications.
- Recent entry records. Identify any claim under 9903.03.15 and ask whether the September 15 change affects it.
- Shipment timing and status. Include expected arrival, confirmed import records, and any warehouse or foreign-trade-zone details. Separate confirmed dates from estimates.
- Open orders and quotes. Review the additional duty, other applicable charges, delivery commitments and who bears the cost. Give finance the revised cash requirement.
- A decision for each affected shipment. Agree on routing, timing or a hold before dispatch. Record who owns the next action and when it is due.
A mixed shipment can contain both covered and uncovered lines. Treat classification and origin as line-level questions rather than assigning one answer to the entire container.
Get a shipment-specific review
Welke’s customs brokerage and freight teams can help connect the classification review with the shipment plan. Request a quote with your product classifications, origin information, open U.S. orders and expected shipment dates. We can review the potential exposure and the next steps with you.
Official sources
- September 29 bans: Proclamations 11061, 11062 and 11063, including their annexes.
- September 15 scope changes: Proclamations 11064 and 11065.
- CBP CSMS 69851916 and its linked tariff-classification list.
This article provides general planning information, not shipment-specific legal, tax, valuation or customs advice. Classification, origin, import timing and entry treatment depend on each shipment’s facts and current official guidance.