Global Trade Alert
Global Trade Alert

The World's Trade and Industrial Policy Watchdog

Rapid, independent verification since 2009

21 Jul 2026

Section 338: The Return of the Authority

President Trump invoked Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 against Canada on 20 July 2026, leading to an additional 50% duty on 554 Canadian tariff lines. Section 338 has not been referenced since the 1930s and 1940s, with no record of it ever being used to impose tariffs. This explainer sets out how the statute works, its historical precedents, and what the current proclamations against Canada actually cover.

21 Jul 2026

Section 338 tariffs raise Canada’s average US tariff to 6.27%

First invocation of the statute since the 1940s; USMCA offers no relief

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