October 18, 2026 to October 24, 2026

This is Queen Street Analytics' weekly digest of regulatory developments, legislative discussions and other government-related news concerning most types of manufacturing activities (except agricultural, automotive, aerospace, food, and pharmaceutical), e.g. textile and apparel, chemical, electronics, wood and paper, metals, plastics and rubber, packaging, and machining. Once a week, we break down the most important updates in this space in under five minutes.

Want to track the upstream and downstream forces affecting Manufacturing? Don’t miss this week’s updates in Mining and Oil & Gas. Also consider subscribing to our Manufacturing - Ottawa edition covering critical GR news north of the border.

📋 In This Week's Newsletter

• 🇺🇸 Federal Government News
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week

Federal Government News

White House Modifies Canadian Products Subject to Tariffs Under Section 338

On October 23, 2026, President Trump signed a proclamation modifying tariffs on specific Canadian products under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930. The changes respond to Canada’s withdrawal from a trade deal and $20 billion in retaliatory tariffs imposed on U.S. exports. Certain items such as plywood sheets, paper products, and machinery are removed from the tariff list, while other products—valves, carpets, and various waste products—are added. The new tariff measures take effect on October 30, 2026, and apply to all covered goods, including those under the USMCA, and are in addition to existing Section 232 tariffs.

Sources: www.whitehouse.gov

Further Modifications to U.S. Duties on Canadian Automotive Products

President Trump issued a proclamation, effective October 30, 2026, further revising the scope of additional ad valorem duties on certain Canadian products related to the motor vehicle sector. Following Canada’s failure to address prior concerns, the 50% duty has been adjusted—some Canadian goods are excluded while others are newly added. The Harmonized Tariff Schedule will be updated to reflect these changes. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and relevant agencies have been authorized to implement the modified duties and can adjust further as needed.

Sources: www.whitehouse.gov

Final Results of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Reviews on Canadian Softwood Lumber

The U.S. Department of Commerce finalized its 2024 administrative reviews of antidumping and countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber. For the antidumping duty review, company-specific weighted-average dumping margins were assigned, with Canfor at 17.00%, West Fraser at 4.71%, and Resolute at 13.13%. Non-selected companies receive a margin of 10.64%. For countervailing duties, Resolute is assigned 12.42%, West Fraser 15.31%, and non-selected companies 14.11%. The reviews cover shipments between January 1 and December 31, 2024. Commerce instructed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to assess duties on relevant entries, set new cash deposit rates, and reminded importers and APO parties of compliance requirements.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov

President Invokes Defense Production Act to Expand Domestic Petroleum Capacity

On October 22, 2026, President Trump issued a memorandum under Section 303 of the Defense Production Act, citing a National Energy Emergency and directing the Secretary of War to expand domestic petroleum production, refining, and logistics. The directive follows findings that domestic industry cannot meet national defense needs in a timely manner due to supply chain, permitting, and financial obstacles. Authorized actions include federal purchase, financial support, and targeted waivers to accelerate capacity expansion. The memorandum supersedes prior inconsistent guidance and is to be implemented immediately.

Sources: www.whitehouse.gov

Foreign-Trade Zone Production Proposals for Metal Beverage Containers

Notifications were received by the Department of Commerce’s Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) Board regarding proposed production activity by Metal Container (MCC) LP at facilities in Windsor (CO), Jacksonville (FL), New Windsor (NY), Riverside and Jurupa Valley (CA), and Oklahoma City (OK). Activities involve manufacturing beverage cans and aluminum lids using imported aluminum stock, which is subject to duties under Section 232 and Section 301 depending on origin. Duty rates on finished products range from 2.6% to 5.7%, and foreign-status materials must be admitted to FTZs in privileged foreign status. Public comments on all proposals are due by December 1, 2026. Relevant documents are available in the FTZ Board’s online information system.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov

What We're Reading This Week

• EXCLUSIVE: TSMC seeks factory-equipment alternatives to thwart China's rare earths grip, sources say: TSMC considers new equipment suppliers as it seeks to mitigate supply chain exposure to China's rare earths export controls.
• India's top industrial state asks factories to curb power usage as demand surges: Maharashtra requests industrial power cuts amid surging electricity demand and limited generation capacity.
• 5 Takeaways From Our Investigation of Trump’s Waivers for Polluters: An analysis of the Trump Administration's approach to granting regulatory waivers for chemical and industrial air pollution.
• China bets on manufactured water, and wants to sell it to the world: China ramps up production of manufactured water for domestic and global industrial uses as water scarcity grows.
• Lasers, Robots and AI: The Fight to Save Salmon Goes High-Tech: U.S. fisheries deploy automation, robotics, and AI systems in efforts to manage salmon populations and maintain ecological balance.
• As Japan pursues a chip-industry reboot, it's being pressed to build America's: Japan increases semiconductor output while facing pressure to serve U.S. manufacturing demand.
• BluWave-ai Wins Energy Storage Canada Award for the Second Year in a Row and Earns Clean50 Top 5 Project: BluWave-ai recognized as a top Canadian energy storage technology leader with notable industry awards.

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