President Donald Trump has made false claims about Canada’s tariff rates, asserting on social media that Canada is one of the highest tariffing nations globally. However, data from the World Bank shows that Canada actually had a lower average tariff rate (1.37%) than the US (1.49%) in 2022. Canada ranked 102nd out of 137 countries in terms of trade-weighted tariff averages, with Bermuda topping the list at 29.52%. Despite Trump’s claims, Canada’s overall tariff rates are not among the highest, even in a simple-average comparison.

Regarding dairy tariffs, Trump pointed to Canada’s high dairy duties exceeding 250% as unfair trade practices. However, these tariffs only apply after the US surpasses a certain zero-tariff sales quota negotiated by Trump. The US is not currently meeting this quota in any dairy product category, so the tariffs are not being enforced. Canada’s supply management protectionism over dairy and poultry is an exception rather than the norm, with the majority of US trade with Canada being tariff-free for decades.

Experts like Scott Lincicome from the Cato Institute and Daniel Schwanen from the C.D. Howe Institute acknowledge elements of truth in Trump’s claims about Canada’s tariffs but emphasize that Canada is not a high-tariff country in general, especially concerning American products. Trump’s threats of increased tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, and automobiles have sparked tensions, with his call for Canada to become the 51st US state widely rejected by Canadians.