The US House of Representatives passed a resolution to overturn President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada. The vote is significant as it represents a largely symbolic bipartisan challenge to the administration’s trade agenda regarding Canadian goods. Six Republican lawmakers joined Democrats in a 219 to 211 vote to support a resolution that aims to end the tariffs Trump imposed on Canada last year.
Trump imposed a series of tariffs on Canada last month including a threatened 100% import tax in response to Canada’s proposed trade deal with China. Voting was conducted on the House floor while Trump posted on Truth social: “Any Republican in the House or the Senate that votes against TARIFFS will seriously suffer the consequences some Election time.”
“TARIFFS have given us Economic and National Security, and no Republican should be responsible for destroying this privilege.” he further added.
Last year the Senate voted twice to block Trump from imposing tariffs on Canada with four Republicans joining Democrats to pass the measures. The House Republican leaders had blocked efforts to implement votes on Trump’s tariff authority.
The recent move was announced by Democrat Gregory Meeks who said that Trump had “weaponized tariffs” against allies and undermined the global economy, as reported by the BBC. Meeks argued that these tariffs have only done immense harm to our relationship with Canada but are also pushing them closer to China.
The bill now heads to the US Senate where Republicans also hold the majority. Trump’s tariffs are facing legal security as the US Supreme Court is set to rule soon on a case questioning the president’s legal authority to impose the levies. The top Democrat on the US House Foreign Affairs Committee said that the measure on Canada is the first of several bills he plans to introduce that aim to reverse Trump’s signature trade action.
