Trump Pulls Plug on Canadian Goods in US Government Contracts

US President Donald Trump issued a presidential memorandum on September 16, 2026, instructing federal agencies to remove Canadian goods from US government contract awards. The move follows a summer of back-and-forth tariffs after an August truce fell apart and coincided with a proposal by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to make Canada an 'associate member.'

The White House estimated that Canadian goods and services sold under the Multiple Award Schedule top $50 billion annually. However, it's unclear whether this figure includes only Canadian companies or all suppliers in the US procurement market.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had previously warned that the economy is fixed because lower earners' incomes are now rising faster than top earners'. Nevertheless, the numbers don't agree, and various indicators suggest otherwise. The Atlanta Fed and Bank of America show different data, while Hilton, Marriott, and McDonald's can't agree on what they're seeing either.