Washington DC - A brand new import ban on several Canadian products, notably alcoholic beverages, came into effect on Tuesday as President Donald Trump's trade war ramps up.
The ban was announced earlier this month and entered into force on Tuesday at 12:01AM ET. It comes as the neighboring nations have been locked in a cycle of spiraling trade tensions after talks broke down in mid-August.
Since taking office for his second term, Trump has upended global trade by applying a slew of often eye-wateringly-high tariffs on friends and foes alike.
The new import ban impacts an array of alcoholic beverages, including beer, sparkling wine, brandy, sake, and numerous other types of liquor. It also covers the dairy-based whey protein as well as high-powered motorcycles.
Trump announced the latest measures on September 8, after Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs applying to around $20 billion in US exports.
The US president has justified the ban on Canadian alcohol products by pointing towards "discriminatory" boycotts and tariffs on US products of the same nature.
On Monday, he accused his country's second-largest trading partner of being "entitled."
"The problem is that they've treated the United States very unfairly. They have been one of the worst countries in the entire world," he told reporters at the White House.
Anti-US sentiment has been high in Canada since Trump took office, especially because the billionaire has frequently referred to the country of 41.7 million people as the United States' "51st state."
In August, Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario, on the border with Canada, to "Lake America." The move sparked fury in Canada.
Although Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is backed by Canadian public opinion, his country remains reliant on its southern neighbor. Nearly 60% of Canada's imports come from the US, and about 70% of its exports are south-bound.