March 6 Tariff Update from EFC

March 7, 2025

In February, EFC’s Government Relations Committee and EFC’s Board of Directors met to develop a position for EFC in response to tariffs imposed on Canada by the United States government. Board members agreed that maintaining free trade or securing an exemption for Canadian and American electrical products, would be the favourable outcome for all EFC members, ensuring the continued prosperity of our thriving industry.

However, if Canada is unable to secure an exemption for electrical products, EFC board members came to an agreement that Canada should adopt a fair-trade approach to protect Canadian businesses and jobs by applying retaliatory tariffs. Matching tariffs product by product will level the playing field for companies exporting to the US from Canada and whose products now have a 25% tariff applied.

EFC submitted our industry position to Finance Canada on Friday, February 28 along with an initial list of electrical and automation HS codes. View the letter

Government of Canada’s Response

The Canadian government has responded to the 25% tariff on all Canadian exports to the US with an initial list of retaliatory tariffs (25%) on US imports into Canada. This published list went into effect March 4, 2025, and includes lighting products.

The Canadian government has issued a notice of intent for implementation of a second round of tariffs and is seeking consultation on imposing tariffs on $125 billion in imports of additional goods in this Table. This second round of tariffs will be subject to a 21-day comment period prior to implementation. Consultation closes March 25, 2025.

EFC staff will be reaching out to confirm the HS codes relevant to EFC members. Clarifying the relevant codes will enable EFC’s statistical department to generate data relevant to our members and the ability to assess any future developments on tariffs.

Industry Links

UPDATE: Trump delays tariffs for all USMCA-compliant goods for both Mexico and Canada | Reuters

Canada announces robust tariff package in response to unjustified U.S. tariffs – Canada.ca

List of products from the United States subject to 25 per cent tariffs effective March 4, 2025 – Canada.ca