The United States government is lifting the 50 per cent tariff it has applied on imports of Canadian cement and road salt since Aug. 29. The announcement is included in a new presidential proclamation to invoke a new round of tariffs or outright import bans in addition to those that went into effect late last month.

No reason is given for the reprieve on road salt, cement and six other categories of Canadian products, but the proclamations states that the president is “refining the scope” of the earlier tariffs “to better serve the public interest.” The 50 per cent surcharge on imports will be removed beginning Sept. 15.

Other product categories on the list include:

• refined lead used in batteries and energy storage systems;
• low-voltage switchgear assemblies and switchboards used for power distribution;
• chemically pure sugars, typically used for laboratory or manufacturing purposes;
• paper-based household goods such toilet paper and facial tissues, and consumer sanitary items;
• bed sheets and hospital items made of paper pulp, paper cellulose or cellulose fibre; and
• fishing rod parts and accessories.