The Trump administration has removed ordinary Portland cement from the Canadian products subject to an additional 50 per cent US import tariff.
The exemption covers Portland cement other than white cement under tariff code HTS 2523.29.00. It applies to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouses, from 00.01 Eastern Time on 15 September 2026.
The duty was announced on 20 July under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in response to what the administration described as Canadian discrimination against US automotive exports. Following a brief suspension, it took effect on 22 August.
The new presidential proclamation, signed on 8 September and published in the Federal Register on 14 September, said that modifying the affected product list would better serve the US public interest. It did not provide a cement-specific explanation.
The reversal removes a potentially substantial cost for US importers. Canada is an important regional supplier, exporting approximately 3.9Mt of Portland cement to the USA in 2023.
