Senate to Vote on Measure Seeking to Halt Tariffs on Canada

The Senate is expected to vote this week on a resolution seeking to eliminate the legal basis for the tariffs the U.S. has imposed on imports from Canada. Companies impacted by these tariffs that wish to seek remediation can contact their senators encouraging support of this measure or reach out to Nicole Bivens Collinson at (202) 730-4956 or via email for assistance.

Currently, U.S. tariffs of 25 percent (10 percent for energy products) are being assessed on imports from Canada that do not qualify for duty-free treatment under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Those tariffs were imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act following the Feb. 1 declaration by President Trump of a national emergency regarding cross-border immigration and shipments of fentanyl.

S.J.Res. 37 (introduced March 11 by Sen. Kaine, D-Va.) would terminate that national emergency and thus the current legal basis for the tariffs on Canada. Because this resolution is privileged, the Senate is required to vote on it within a specified time period. (A similar measure was introduced in the House, which subsequently approved a procedural move that essentially overrode the requirement for a House vote.)