The trade war between the United States and Canada is no longer background noise for the trucking industry — it's showing up directly on invoices for Canadian-made equipment, including the air suspension seats that fleets and owner-operators depend on every day. Knoedler Manufacturers, one of the best-known names in air-ride truck seating, builds its seats in Montreal. As tariffs between the two countries climb, the cost of getting those seats across the border — in either direction — may become a real factor in what buyers pay and how fast they can get product.

Where the Tariffs Stand as of August 25, 2026

The tariff picture has shifted several times since early 2025, and it's continued to move in recent days:

• Canadian autos, trucks, and auto parts entering the U.S. have carried a 25% tariff since 2025 — a rate that touches many vehicle components and accessories manufactured in Canada. But so far, Knoedler seats have not been tariffed.
• Steel and aluminum, key inputs for seat frames, pedestals, and suspension hardware, have carried a 50% U.S. tariff since mid-2025 but so far Knoedler seats have not been tariffed.
• On August 22, 2026, after trade talks between Washington and Ottawa broke down, the U.S. added a broad 50% tariff on roughly $20 billion of additional Canadian goods, spanning categories including electronics and industrial machinery.
• The Trump administration has also threatened to raise the tariff on Canadian autos, trucks, and auto parts specifically to 50% — up from the current 25% — effective January 1, 2027, though implementation details have not yet been published.
• Canada has responded dollar-for-dollar, imposing retaliatory tariffs on U.S. steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural machinery, paper, and electronics.

A Trade War That Keeps Escalating

Talks between the two governments collapsed in the early hours of August 22 after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the U.S. side “asked too much and offered too little.” Carney has since described Canada as effectively “at war” with the U.S. economically, and officials on both sides have signaled that further tariff action is more likely than a near-term resolution. For a supply chain built around decades of largely tariff-free trade, the pace of change has been jarring — pricing that held steady for years is now being revisited month to month.

The Seat Specialists Expertise at Work: Direct Ship From Canada

In this environment, how a seat reaches the customer matters just as much as who makes it.

For Canadian-based customers, Seat Specialists has arranged for Knoedler to ship orders directly from its Canadian facility straight to Canadian customers — never routing through a U.S. warehouse, and never crossing the border twice. That direct-ship arrangement is available exclusively through Seat Specialists, and it's the difference between a Canadian fleet or owner-operator paying tariff-inflated pricing and paying Knoedler's standard domestic rate.  If a Canadian-based customer orders a seat made by National Seating, Bostrom Seating, Prime Seating, Gramag, ISRI, Sears Seating or Seats Inc; the seat will be tariffed while crossing the boarder into Canada.  There is no avoiding that at this moment.

For US based customers, Seat Specialists continues to work with Knoedler Manufacturers team to best estimate the tariff impact based on the latest news.  We have had a few surprises along the way.  Never with seats, but on few occasions, parts via UPS have been tariffed.  It is important to watch the tracking for Knoedler parts, as UPS gives the option of paying the tariff in advance which results in a savings.  Seat Specialists is also importing popular parts in our warehouse so that they are accessible to US customers and the tariff is already addressed.

The following HS codes are used when importing from Canada to the US:

• Parts 9401.99.10.85   https://hts.usitc.gov/search?query=9401.99
• Seats 9401.20.00.00 https://hts.usitc.gov/search?query=9401.20

Rates of duty can be checked via the HTS website (see links above), in column

The tariff is not the only additional fee to be on the watch for.  With the tariff generally comes a broker fee and Merchandise Processing Fee and others. 

If you are a US-based customer and you are looking at other brands such as National Seating. Bostrom Seating, Prime, Gramag, Sears, etc… these already have any tariff paid during the manufacturing process – it is worked into the seat price.  No surprises there.

Set on a Knoedler seat?  Use Seat Specialists.

Seat Specialists carries the widest selection of Knoedler products of any dealer in the United States or Canada — every current model, the full range of upholstery and suspension options, and OEM replacement parts — backed by a team that can help buyers on either side of the border find the most cost-effective way to get the right seat. In a trade environment that’s changing by the month, that combination of selection and routing flexibility is worth having on your side.  We guarantee that we are working to make each transaction as seamless and transparent as possible.

Browse the full Knoedler lineup at Seat-Specialist.com, or contact our team to find out whether direct-ship from Canada is the right option for your next order.