Zipments Launches Free Tool to Help Importers Navigate Canada-U.S. Tariff Changes

Free tool screens Canadian tariff classification and U.S. HTS codes against active U.S. Section 301, 232 and 338 measures and Canada's September 8 counter-tariffs — and is updated as tariff measures change.

VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Zipments today launched the Tariff Impact Checker, a free online tool that lets importers screen their tariff codes against the trade measures now in force on both sides of the Canada–U.S. border. The tool covers both directions: U.S. tariffs on Canadian-origin goods and Canada's counter-tariffs on U.S.-origin goods.

The launch comes just over a week before Canada's new countermeasures take effect. On August 25, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne published the tariff-item-level list of $27.6 billion in U.S.-origin goods that will face surtaxes of 15%, 25% or 50% beginning September 8, 2026. Rates are set product-by-product to mirror U.S. tariffs on equivalent Canadian goods, with the list covering sectors including steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, and electronics.

The challenge for importers is that tariff exposure is not symmetrical, and different measures can overlap. Steel and aluminum, for example, are excluded from the new Section 338 duties because they are already subject to U.S. tariffs under Section 232, while Canada is also targeting those sectors with its countermeasures. Knowing that a product is excluded from one measure does not mean it is tariff-free — and checking exposure in one direction tells an importer nothing about the other.

"Importers have been reading sector summaries and hoping their goods aren't on the list. That's not enough anymore. The same HS heading can have different tariff rates depending on the specific item, and something excluded from one measure can still be hit by another. You need to check the actual tariff code, in both directions. We built the checker to make that fast and easy."

— Steve Bozicevic, CEO, Zipments

How it works

The Tariff Impact Checker supports both the U.S. and Canada, and users can toggle back and forth between versions. The U.S. tool screens 10-digit HTS codes against the July 24, 2026 Section 301 actions, Section 232 measures, the August 19 Section 338 duties on Canada, and other measures currently in force. The Canadian tool screens 10-digit tariff classification numbers against the September 8 counter-tariff list, as well as existing steel and aluminum surtaxes.

Importers enter their tariff codes and country of origin and receive:

• the previous and current duty rates
• any applicable U.S. exclusions or Canadian remission orders
• the source documentation behind each result, so it can be independently verified

The first 10 lookups are free with no account required. Creating a free account increases the limit to 100 lookups per day.

Zipments updates the checker as new tariff measures, exclusions, remission orders and other regulatory changes are published. The Canadian counter-tariff list, published by Finance Canada on August 25, was incorporated into the tool within days.

What the tool does not decide

The checker identifies whether a tariff code may be subject to the new measures, but it does not determine origin. Canada's surtax applies only to goods originating in the United States, and for these measures, origin is determined under Canada's marking rules rather than the CUSMA preferential rules of origin. The two tests can produce different results, and qualifying for CUSMA does not necessarily exempt a product from the surtax.

Goods already in transit to Canada when the countermeasures take effect are also exempt. As of publication, CBSA had not yet published its Customs Notices setting out the administrative details, including how the surtax will be reported and how importers will demonstrate that goods qualify for the in-transit exemption.

"We made the first lookups free with no account required because importers need answers now. The tool can quickly tell you whether a tariff code is potentially affected and show you the source behind that result. If something comes back flagged, that's when you should get a licensed customs broker involved."

— Steve Bozicevic, CEO, Zipments

Availability

Both versions are live now and users can toggle back and forth between Canada and the US:

U.S. imports: app.zipments.io/tools/tariff-changes/united-states 

Canadian imports: app.zipments.io/tools/tariff-changes/canada 

About Zipments

Recognized on the FreightWaves FreightTech 100 (2026) list, Zipments delivers digital workflows that simplify compliance while helping importers, customs brokers, and logistics providers modernize how they serve cross-border customers. More information at www.zipments.io.

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SOURCE Zipments