Trump’s tariffs on Canada faces its biggest setback as US House Republicans defy the President
President Donald Trump’s tariff policies have become a flashpoint in U.S. economic debates, drawing both praise and criticism from people and authorities. While supporters argue this move is aimed at combating unfair trade practices, critics warn that tariffs raise consumer costs and disrupt supply chains. Recently, Trump’s newly announced tariffs on Canada have particularly heightened tensions. Now, in a significant rebuke of his trade agenda, the House of Representatives has voted to overturn Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports, igniting a new clash.
Last month, Trump warned that Canada could face a 100% tariff on its exports to the United States if the country moves forward with a trade agreement with China. Amid the uncertainty, Canada is trying to broaden its trade relationships beyond the US, and a few weeks ago, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney revealed a new strategic deal with China, claiming tariffs would be lowered as part of the deal. At the time, Trump had a positive view of the development, but relations between the U.S. and Canada have since become increasingly strained, as reported by the BBC.
Recently, the GOP-led House of Representatives voted to cancel Trump’s tariffs on Canada after six Republicans joined Democrats to block the emergency order that the President used to place the taxes on Canadian imports. However, it's worth noting that most Republicans supported Trump, and the final vote was pretty close at 219 to 211, as reported by USA Today. This voting does not immediately change the policy, as it must first pass the Senate and reach the president’s desk, and given Trump’s strong opinion on tariffs, he will most likely not approve it.
While the officials cast their votes on the House floor, Trump took to his Truth Social account to share a message. He stated, "Any Republican, in the House or the Senate, that votes against TARIFFS will seriously suffer the consequences come Election time," before adding, "TARIFFS have given us Economic and National Security, and no Republican should be responsible for destroying this privilege." On the other hand, Democrat Gregory Meeks recently accused Trump of turning tariffs into a political tool against some of the most valuable U.S. allies and argued that the approach has caused instability in the global economy.
Before the voting procedure, Meeks said, "Not only have these tariffs done immense harm to our relationship with Canada, pushing them closer to China, they have driven up prices here at home." Meeks also mentioned that the Canada resolution is just the beginning, and that he intends to bring forward more legislation to eliminate tariffs on several other countries, saying, "Our fight doesn't stop here. I have resolutions also to end Trump's tariffs on Mexico, on Brazil, and on his Liberation Day global tariffs." Additionally, Republican representative Don Bacon from Nebraska also said, "Tariffs have been a 'net negative' for the economy and are a significant tax that American consumers, manufacturers, and farmers are paying."
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