Trump says no to Bombardier sales in the U.S. as tariff deadline looms

OTTAWA – Rhetoric from the White House ramped up as a deadline for Canada’s retaliatory tariffs counts down, with President Donald Trump posting on social media Monday that he’ll block Bombardier sales in the United States.

Quebec-based Bombardier manufactures aircrafts and has some plants in the U.S.

On social media Monday, Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette said she won’t respond to Trump’s provocations with more provocations.

“Bombardier is a source of pride for Quebec, a flagship of our economy, and a major player in our aerospace industry. Behind this company are thousands of Quebec workers who showcase our expertise around the world,” she wrote in French.

“I have reached out to Éric Martel, CEO of Bombardier, to offer him our full support.”

Trump last month launched tariffs on goods ranging from hockey sticks and cement to honey, after trade talks between the two nations broke down.

Countervailing Canadian tariffs, to be applied Tuesday, are set to affect American goods such as dairy products, plywood and sunscreen.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, speaking at a news conference in Regina on Monday, called for more transparency from the prime minister. He said Canadians need to see how much the counter tariffs will cost consumers and businesses, and what Prime Minister Mark Carney will do to offset those costs.

Poilievre is also renewing his call for the prime minister to release the full text of a trade deal that fell through with the Americans, saying Canadians need to see what Carney walked away from.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is warning that small businesses could close due to the trade war despite Ottawa’s announced supports.

“All Canadians stand united in denouncing the president’s unacceptable tweets, trolling and tariffs, and we have to stand united for its workers and all of our people,” Poilievre said Monday.

“The Canadian people deserve the facts and a plan — we need to have both of those things from the prime minister, and so far, we’ve had neither.”

In a Labour Day statement, Carney said Canada is looking to diversify its trading partners and that Canada works best when we look out for one another.

“We couldn’t accept what they offered. We wouldn’t give what they’d asked. As a result, the U.S. has imposed new tariffs designed to hurt and divide us,” Carney said last week.

“Now, that’s a miscalculation because Canadians will always take care of each other. And it’s a miscalculation because we have everything we need to build the country we want. We have the reserves, we have the resilience, and we have the right plan.”

Canada’s counter tariffs include a 50 per cent tariff on a variety of American dairy products like milk and cream, and a 25 per cent tariff to fresh cheese and curd. Canada is also targetting U.S. wood products with 25 per cent tariffs. The products include softwood like pine, fir and spruce that has been sawed or sliced thicker than six millimetres.

Multiple steel and aluminum products are being hit with a 50 per cent tariff, up from the current 25 per cent rate. They include steel rods, bars and sheets, along with prefabricated items like bridges, towers, scaffolding and door and window frames.

Some beauty products and makeup are now subject to 50 per cent tariffs, including perfumes and eau de toilette, sunscreen and suntan products, lip and eye makeup, manicure and pedicure preparations, and hair products.

They’re expected to go into effect Tuesday at midnight.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 7, 2026.