US slaps import ban on Canadian alcohol, motorbikes and other goods

The US is banning a slew of Canadian products, including alcoholic spirits, dairy goods and motorbikes, as its neighbour's retaliatory tariffs on American goods come into force.

President Donald Trump said Canada is 'discriminating' against the US and outlined the import bans, which will begin on 29 September.

Earlier on Tuesday, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a video address that his country's move away from the US as its largest trading partner 'will come at a cost'.

Business owners on both sides of the border have expressed fears over the trade war's fallout. Many expect prices of goods to rise and the number of customers to fall.

The White House's new sanctions are the latest strike in a months-long trade war between the US and Canada. The two countries have historically been close allies, with each a key business partner to the other.

Some products, like whey and non-alcoholic beer, have been banned from import entirely, while tariffs have been further hiked for others, including cheeses and motorboats.

The trade war will be 'costly for both sides due to the historical level of integration of the North American economy,' said economics lecturer Scott French from the University of New South Wales in Australia. He added that consumers on both sides will end up as 'the biggest losers'.