U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the removal of Canadian-origin products from the Multiple Award Schedules (MAS), a system used by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to enable federal agencies to purchase goods and services from commercial companies.
The MAS, also known as the GSA Schedules, represents more than $50 billion in annual business. The system allows companies to offer millions of products and services to federal, state and local government buyers through contracts with pre-negotiated prices.
In a post published on his social media platform Truth Social, Donald Trump ordered the GSA, in coordination with the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), to take all necessary measures to remove Canadian-origin products from the system.
The measure, according to Trump, will remain in place unless Canada restores what he described as “full and fair reciprocity” for American farmers and businesses.
Trump Accuses Canada of Restricting Access to Public Contracts
The U.S. president accused the Canadian government of restricting access for small American businesses to Canada’s public procurement market.
Donald Trump also renewed his criticism of Canada’s trade policies, particularly in the agricultural sector. He claimed that American dairy producers face restrictions preventing them from gaining greater access to the Canadian market.
The White House also argued that Canada has benefited for years from broad access to the huge U.S. public procurement market without providing what Trump considers equivalent access to American companies.
“This is not reciprocity, this is a Canadian trade scam. From now on, NO RECIPROCITY – NO ACCESS!” Trump said.
A New Escalation in U.S.-Canada Trade Tensions
The decision comes as trade tensions between Washington and Ottawa enter a new phase.
Canada has brought into force counter-tariffs worth nearly $28 billion on U.S. products, in response to earlier tariffs imposed by Washington.
The exclusion of Canadian products from the MAS therefore represents another pressure measure by the United States against its North American neighbor.
The move could affect Canadian companies that rely on GSA Schedules to access U.S. government procurement opportunities, while adding another layer of tension to the economic relationship between the two countries.
The evolution of the dispute will largely depend on Washington and Ottawa’s ability to reach new agreements on reciprocal market access and the broader terms governing trade between the two countries.
