If you import from Canada, your landed cost calculation for plywood just got better, and your calculation for air conditioners just got worse. The White House issued a proclamation this week that changes which Canadian products pay the additional Section 338 duties, effective October 30, 2026.
This is the third change to these tariffs in as many months. The original duties came from Proclamation 11048 on July 20, 2026, and this latest proclamation further modifies their scope. It's a mixed bag, so here's what changes.
What's coming off the list
Four product categories lose their Section 338 duties on October 30:
- Plywood
- Plastic wrap
- Cardboard boxes
- Food-related machinery
What's going on the list
Six product categories start paying Section 338 duties on the same date:
- Cocoa powder
- Paints
- Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) wood
- Carpets and rugs
- Air conditioners
- Canoes
How the dates change your costs
Your duty bill depends on the day your goods enter the U.S., so the same product can cost you different amounts a few days apart.
Chest-type freezers show how this plays out. Before October 30, they pay only the Section 232 steel duties. Starting that day, they also pay Section 338 tariffs on top of those.
Plywood moves in the opposite direction. It carries a 50% Section 338 tariff through October 29, and that tariff no longer applies starting October 30. If you have plywood in transit and your delivery date has some flexibility, it's worth checking how the entry date affects your costs.
A legal challenge is already underway
On October 20, an importer filed the first legal challenge to the Section 338 tariffs at the Court of International Trade. Nobody can say yet how the case will play out or how long it will take. Keep an eye on it, because a ruling could change these duties again.
What to do this week
Check your Canadian-origin product list against both lists above. Then look at what's in transit and what's scheduled to arrive around October 30, and decide whether any shipments are worth timing differently. If you ship products on either list, talk to your Flexport team before you book.
Flexport updated its Tariff Simulator with these changes on October 28, so you can model the new duties on your own products.
