Inside Trade

By Hannah Monicken 

The Senate on Wednesday narrowly approved a joint resolution that would end the Trump administration’s tariffs on Canada.

The vote was 51-48. All Democrats and four Republicans -- Sens. Rand Paul (KY), Mitch McConnell (KY), Lisa Murkowski (AK) and Susan Collins (ME) -- voted in favor.

The resolution stands little chance in the House, where Republicans last month blocked similar resolutions for Canada and for Mexico from coming up for votes.

The Senate resolution was introduced by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mark Warner (D-VA) last month. If approved by both chambers in Congress, it would terminate the national emergency declared by the Trump administration as justification for the 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods and 10 percent tariff on Canadian energy under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act. If the national emergency is terminated, the president’s authorities under IEEPA lapse and the duties on Canadian goods would end.

 Following the vote, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) hailed the result as evidence of bipartisan discontent about Trump’s policies. He criticized the tariffs as additional taxes on families.

This idea was echoed by Kaine, who before the vote also argued that the Trump administration was alienating allies.

“There is a fentanyl emergency, but it’s not Canada,” Kaine said on the Senate floor. “It’s not an emergency from Canada, and it’s certainly not an emergency that would justify treating Canadian products with exactly the same tariff that we would levy on products from Mexico and from China.”

“I think allies are really important, and I think it’s wrong to call an ally an adversary,” he added. “This is no way to treat an ally. This is no way to treat a friend.” 

Notably, President Trump again used IEEPA to impose the administration’s new across-the-board and reciprocal tariffs on Wednesday. Democrats have already decried the latest duties.