Trade & Tariffs

Tariff Resources Hub

What the current Canada–U.S. tariffs mean for Chilliwack businesses, what financial support you can apply for, and the tools to work out exactly where your products stand.

Last reviewed: September 17, 2026
September 8, 2026Canada's counter-tariffs took effect on C$27.6 billion of U.S. importsIn effect
September 29, 2026U.S. import bans begin on spirits, wine, beer, whey protein and moreTakes effect soon
10–499 employeesThe size band that qualifies for the federal RTRI, B.C.'s largest tariff support programSupport available

Reviewed weekly

What changed recently

If you checked this page a month ago, this is what is different. Rates and product lists are further down.

September 29, 2026U.S. import bans begin on several Canadian product categories — not tariffs, an outright stop.Takes effect soon
September 15, 2026U.S. widened its 50% tariff list to cover more food, wood, metal and manufactured goods.
September 8, 2026Canada’s counter-tariffs began — the first time Chilliwack businesses pay a surtax on what they buy from the U.S., not just on what they sell.
September 2026RTRI funding expanded in B.C. and the maximum per business increased.Support available
August 25, 2026$7.5 billion federal support package announced, adding new programs and loosening some existing eligibility rules.

How this page is put together. Every rate, date and dollar figure here is taken from an official government source and linked at the bottom of the page. No program or provider pays to appear here, and the Chamber receives no fee for any referral listed.

Start here

Does this affect my business?

Tariffs now run in both directions, and they are charged at the border on the value of the goods. There are two separate questions, and many Chilliwack businesses answer yes to both.

Do this first

Find your HS code

Tariffs are applied to Harmonized System codes, not product names. Until you know the code for what you buy or sell, nothing below can tell you your rate with certainty. The Canada Tariff Finder is free and run by BDC, EDC and the Trade Commissioner Service.

Look Up My Product

The lists below are examples, not the full schedule. Canada’s counter-tariffs alone cover more than 600 product classifications, and the U.S. lists are longer still. Not seeing your product here does not mean you are unaffected — check the official list or your HS code.

Official Product List
Filter by sector

You sell into the United States

In effect

U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods

Your American customer pays a duty on what you ship, which makes your product more expensive than a domestic competitor's.

50%Dairy, alcoholic beverages, and a broad category covering electronics, furniture, building materials, plastics, clothing, machinery and agricultural productsSince August 22, 2026
50%Cheese and dairy, oils, leather, paper, steel and aluminum products, motorboats, golf carts, furnitureSince September 15, 2026
35%Softwood lumberSince October 14, 2025
25%Upholstered wooden products, kitchen and bathroom cabinets; vehicles not built in the U.S.Since October 2025 / April 2025

You buy from the United States

In effect

Canada's counter-tariffs

You pay a surtax at the Canadian border on U.S. goods you import — inputs, equipment and stock included. Over 600 product classifications are covered.

50%Steel and aluminum ingots, dairy products, chemical wood pulp, smartphones, suits, golf clubsSince September 8, 2026
25%Lumber, steel cookware, washing machine parts, cheesesSince September 8, 2026
15%Forklifts, agricultural machinery parts, air conditionersSince September 8, 2026

Rough estimate

What is this costing you?

If you import goods from the United States, the surtax is charged at the Canadian border on the value of those goods. Enter roughly what you buy in a month to see the scale of it.

Added cost per month

$6,250

Added cost per year

$75,000

Total landed cost per month

$31,250

Estimate only. The surtax is calculated on the value for duty determined at the border, which may differ from your invoice, and this figure excludes GST, existing duties, brokerage and freight. Confirm the real number with your customs broker before you price anything on it.

Some goods stop crossing entirely on September 29. Motorcycles, whey protein, molasses, non-alcoholic beer, and all spirits, wine and beer can no longer be imported into the United States. This is a ban, not a rate — no duty will make the shipment legal, and businesses in these categories need a different plan, not a pricing adjustment.

Being CUSMA-compliant does not exempt you. Tariffs on both sides apply even to goods that qualify under the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement, and none of the current measures carry an expiry date. Rules of origin still matter for other reasons — but they will not remove these duties.

Dairy is hit at 50% in both directions. For a region with as much dairy and agri-food activity as Chilliwack, that is the single most consequential line on this page — it raises the cost of exporting product and of importing U.S. inputs at the same time.

Money you can apply for

Support and funding

Ottawa announced a $7.5 billion package on August 25, 2026, on top of roughly $25 billion already provided. The programs are real, but most carry eligibility rules that rule out the smallest businesses — so check the criteria before you invest time in an application.

10–499 staff

Regional Tariff Response Initiative

B.C.'s largest tariff program, delivered by PacifiCan. Non-repayable support for liquidity and for pivot projects, with repayable financing above that. Published maximums are high, but awards are sized to the project — treat the ceiling as a ceiling.

Incorporated and staffed in B.C. · 10 to 499 full-time employees · operating 3+ years before March 21, 2025 · two years of externally prepared financial statements · at least 25% of sales to the U.S. or China, or demonstrably affected by trade disruption.

Check eligibility first

From $1M revenue

BDC Pivot to Grow Loan

Financing for businesses under cash-flow pressure from trade disruption. The minimum revenue threshold was lowered to $1 million in August 2026, which brought a lot of smaller firms into scope for the first time.

The most realistic option for a business too small for the RTRI.

Pivot to Grow

Free

B.C. Business Advisory Service

A provincial advisor will go through your situation and tell you which programs you actually qualify for. If you only do one thing on this page, and you are not sure where you stand, do this one.

Any B.C. business, any size · 1-855-698-2157 · Business.Advisors@gov.bc.ca

Book an advisor

Sector

Steel & Aluminium Industries Support

Working capital from BDC for steel and aluminum businesses affected by tariffs, across a wide range of financing sizes.

Steel and aluminum producers and exporters.

Steel & aluminium program

Sector

Forestry Support Program

BDC financing for tariff-impacted forestry businesses, alongside a guarantee program for softwood lumber operations and market development.

Forestry and softwood lumber operations.

Forestry program

Staff

Supports for workers and employers

Extended Employment Insurance flexibilities, training investments, and the Worker Retention and Retraining Program for employers trying to hold onto staff through a downturn rather than lay off and rehire.

Employers of any size, and affected workers directly.

Find support

If you have fewer than ten employees, the RTRI is closed to you and several sector programs will not fit either. That does not leave you with nothing — the BDC Pivot to Grow loan, duty remission on inputs, and the free provincial advisory service are all open regardless of size. Start with the advisor.

Work out where you stand

Tools you can use today

Before you can plan, you need to know the tariff code for what you sell or buy, and what rate attaches to it. These are the official tools that answer that.

Canada Tariff Finder

Search by product or HS code for the duty and tariff treatment that applies. Free, and run jointly by BDC, EDC and the Trade Commissioner Service.

Open the tool

Rules of Origin Facilitator

A free international tool for working out whether goods meet the origin rules of a trade agreement. It will not exempt you from the current tariffs, but origin still governs other duties and paperwork.

Check your goods

How the surtax applies at the border

CBSA's guidance on when Canadian counter-tariffs are charged, how they're calculated, and what your broker needs from you.

CBSA guidance

Ask for duty remission

If a tariffed U.S. input has no Canadian substitute, you can apply to Finance Canada for relief on that specific good. Remission is case-by-case and worth pursuing where the amounts are material.

Remission process
Chamber service

Certificates of Origin

The Chamber certifies and seals Certificates of Origin for exporters in the Chilliwack trade area — the document your buyer’s customs broker will ask for. $30 per certificate for members (up to 8 copies included), $60 for non-members (up to 4 copies), plus $2 per additional copy. Bring two signed original certificates with the matching invoices.

Certificates of Origin

Find markets outside the U.S.

Export Navigator and the Trade Commissioner Service provide free, ongoing guidance on reducing reliance on American buyers — including introductions in other markets.

Trade Commissioner Service

Where the Chamber comes in

Tell us what this is costing you

Advocacy only moves when it carries specifics. General concern about tariffs changes nothing; a Chilliwack manufacturer describing a 50% duty on a component with no Canadian supplier changes conversations — with MPs, with the Province, and through the BC Chamber and Canadian Chamber networks.

Tariff impact report

Six questions, about three minutes

Send My Report

We read every submission and reply within two business days. Individual details are never published — only aggregate patterns appear in advocacy submissions, and we will always ask before quoting you.

Also tracking this

  • Canadian Federation of Independent Business — searchable tariff list and impact survey
  • BC Chamber of Commerce — provincial policy positions
  • Canadian Chamber of Commerce — federal submissions
  • Finance Canada — the authoritative product lists and remission process

Chamber advocacy

See the positions the Chamber is taking on behalf of Chilliwack businesses, and the submissions made to date.

Stay current

Get told when this changes

Rates and deadlines have moved three times in the last month. Rather than checking back, have the Chamber send you a short note whenever something on this page changes — a new tariff line, a new funding program, or a deadline approaching.

Sign Up for Tariff Updates

Free, and open to any Chilliwack business — membership not required. Sign-up is handled through the Chamber’s mailing list, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Please read

This page is provided by the Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce as a general information resource for local businesses. It is not customs, legal, tax or financial advice, and it does not replace guidance from a licensed customs broker, trade lawyer or accountant.

Tariff measures have changed repeatedly and can change again with little notice. Rates, dates, product lists and program terms should always be confirmed against the official sources below before you make a business decision or file at the border.