Canada-US Tariffs Are Reshaping Cross-Border Freight — Here's How to Stay Ahead

I was reviewing a cross-border shipment manifest for a client last spring when I noticed their landed cost projections were built on duty rates that had already changed twice that quarter. Nobody had caught it — not the broker, not the carrier, not the warehouse team receiving the goods. By the time it surfaced, the damage was already baked into three months of purchase orders.

What's actually happening

• The US has imposed sweeping tariffs on Canadian imports — including steel, aluminum, and a broad range of manufactured goods — with rates shifting multiple times in 2024 and into 2025
• Canada has responded with retaliatory tariffs on select US goods crossing northbound, creating a two-way cost squeeze for anyone moving freight in both directions
• HTS code classification and country-of-origin rules are under heavier scrutiny at the border, meaning shipments that sailed through customs last year are now getting flagged and delayed

What this means for your operation

• Landed costs are no longer predictable using last quarter's numbers — every cross-border quote needs a fresh duty calculation
• Carriers and brokers are seeing longer clearance times as CBP and CBSA increase documentation reviews, which pushes dwell time and throws off your delivery windows
• Clients are pushing cost increases back to 3PLs and freight ops teams even when the tariff exposure sits upstream — you need to be able to explain the breakdown clearly

Where most teams get burned