President Donald Trump ordered the General Services Administration (GSA) on Tuesday to initiate measures to remove Canadian-origin products from U.S. federal government procurement contracts, in a new action aimed at pressuring Canada to ensure more favorable trade conditions for U.S. companies and farmers.
Trump instructed the GSA to work with the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to take ''all necessary measures'' with the goal of excluding Canadian products from the Multiple Award Schedules (MAS), a broad federal contracting system that channels over USD 50 billion annually in transactions.
The decision is part of the Trump administration's trade strategy, which seeks to use the enormous purchasing power of the U.S. government to demand greater reciprocity from its trading partners. The president conditioned the presence of Canadian products in these programs on Canada restoring what he termed a ''full and fair'' trade relationship for U.S. farmers and companies.
President Donald Trump urged the removal of Canadian products from U.S. federal government procurement contracts while demanding greater reciprocity from Ottawa
Through a post on Truth Social, Trump again questioned Canadian trade policies and stated that for years the United States has faced barriers to accessing the Canadian market. In particular, he pointed out the restrictions affecting U.S. dairy producers, who, according to the president, face difficulties selling their products in the Canadian market.
''Everyone knows that Canada does not allow our large dairy producers to sell in the Canadian market,'' Donald Trump stated, while blaming previous trade agreements for allowing Canada to maintain advantages in strategic sectors.
The president also targeted Canada's public procurement policies. According to Trump, both the Canadian federal government and the provinces have prevented small businesses and U.S. companies from competing in certain government procurement markets.
The U.S. president blamed previous trade agreements, such as NAFTA, for allowing Canada to maintain a strategic advantage
The measure against Canadian products seeks, precisely, to use access to the U.S. federal procurement market as a negotiating tool. The MAS allows government agencies to acquire millions of commercial products and services through streamlined procedures, so being excluded from this system could represent a significant loss of opportunities for Canadian suppliers.
Trump described the situation as a ''Canadian trade scam'' and defended the need to correct an unbalanced relationship. His central argument is that U.S. companies must receive equivalent access to Canadian markets if Canadian companies wish to continue benefiting from U.S. government purchases.
The order thus reinforces the ''America First'' policy promoted by Trump, focused on reducing barriers for domestic producers and using available economic tools to achieve more favorable trade agreements. The administration argues that measures like this can strengthen U.S. companies and protect sectors like agriculture from practices that Washington considers unfair.
With this new directive, Donald Trump once again raises the pressure on Ottawa and leaves open the possibility that access for Canadian suppliers to one of the main U.S. federal contracting systems depends on Canada making concessions and ensuring greater trade reciprocity.
The U.S. government expects to use these measures to correct an unbalanced situation and strengthen American companies
