U.S. tariff deadline approaches as Canadian businesses delay shipments

Canadian businesses are not rushing to ship goods to the United States before a new tariff deadline. The U.S. has threatened a 50 percent tariff on about $20 billion worth of Canadian products, starting August 19, 2026. But companies are waiting rather than acting. TFI International's CEO says shippers have not tried to move extra goods across the border early. Industry groups believe President Trump may not follow through, because he has backed down from similar threats before. This is different from previous deadlines, when businesses moved quickly to beat new taxes. Canadian trade officials, including Minister Dominic LeBlanc, have been in Washington for talks with U.S. trade representatives. Companies are calculating possible losses while they wait for negotiations to finish.