WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The White House ramped up its trade dispute with Canada late Tuesday by banning the import of certain products, including alcoholic beverages, and raising tariffs on other goods.

A range of Canadian products, from mattresses to motorboats and golf carts, will be subject to a 50-per cent surcharge beginning September 15, stated an executive order by President Donald Trump.

The import ban, which targets various alcoholic beverages as well as some dairy products like whey, will come into effect on September 29, according to other executive orders issued at the same time.

One of the statements of presidential action describes how certain Canadian products will no longer be subject to the 50 per cent tariffs that recently came into effect after bilateral trade negotiations collapsed last month. But the list of these products is significantly shorter, with toilet paper among them.

“President Trump is doing this to make sure, again, that we keep a level playing field, deter retaliation, and of course protect American production,” a senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters on a call.

The retaliation comes as Ottawa has just imposed new tariffs on US products in response to the duties announced by Washington on August 22.

The senior official said Canadians had been warned that their reaction would escalate the situation.

As justification for the ban on imports of alcohol from Canada, Trump cited what he called “discriminatory” provincial boycotts of US booze.

Since the start of Trump’s tariff offensive last year, Canadians have launched a massive boycott of US products: wines and spirits have disappeared from store shelves in most Canadian provinces, which hold a monopoly on their sale.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump had threatened to exclude Canadian products from a government procurement program “unless Canada restores full and fair reciprocity for American Farmers and Companies.”

In a social media post, Trump said he was directing officials “to REMOVE Canadian-origin products from GSA’s Multiple Award Schedules,” referring to a General Services Administration program for long-term contracts. Such schedules account for over $50 billion a year, Trump added.

US trade lawyer Ryan Majerus said the move could widen the scope of impacted goods beyond those hit by tariffs.