Trump signs memorandum to identify and remove Canadian products from U.S. federal procurement

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum on Wednesday to identify goods from Canada in federal civil government procurement and take steps to remove them, escalating the ongoing trade war between the two countries. This action followed Canada's imposition of retaliatory tariffs after the U.S. announced its own punitive measures earlier this month. The latest round of tariffs took effect just after midnight on Tuesday, adding 50% levies to over 100 products, including cheeses, motorboats, ATVs, and furniture. Trump's memorandum directs agencies to eliminate Canadian-origin goods from approximately $280 billion in U.S. federal procurement, a significant increase from his initial threat of restricting $50 billion worth of contracts. The move is part of an escalating trade dispute that intensified when the U.S. and Canada failed to reach a new trade agreement last August.