INTERNATIONAL: Tariffs Over TV: Senate Defies Trump on Canada
President Donald Trump’s abrupt halt to U.S.-Canada trade negotiations, sparked by a pointed television advertisement, has met stiff resistance in Congress.
The Senate’s decisive vote to dismantle the imposed tariffs marks a rare bipartisan rebuke, highlighting fractures in White House trade policy.
As cross-border commerce hangs in the balance, this clash underscores the fragility of alliances built on economic interdependence.
Ad Sparks Escalation
The feud ignited when Ontario’s premier aired an anti-tariff spot in the U.S., featuring clips of Ronald Reagan decrying protectionism.
Trump fired back swiftly, announcing the suspension of talks via social media and slapping an additional 10 percent tariff on Canadian imports.
Citing fentanyl flows as a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the move escalated from rhetoric to reality, straining ties with America’s northern neighbor.
Canadian officials, undeterred, signaled readiness to resume dialogue once barriers lift.
Yet Trump’s retaliation, framed as a stand against perceived slights, drew widespread criticism for undermining decades of free trade progress under agreements like USMCA.
Bipartisan Senate Pushback
In a 50-46 tally, the Senate approved a resolution to terminate the emergency declaration and nullify the tariffs.
Democrats led the charge, joined by four Republicans: Rand Paul, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Mitch McConnell.
This echoes an April vote that similarly curbed earlier Canada levies, though the House stalled action then.
Virginia’s Tim Kaine, who spearheaded the measure alongside Senators Rand Paul, Amy Klobuchar, Mark Warner, and Chuck Schumer, argued the emergency pretext twisted the law’s intent.
He stressed preserving vital bilateral relations, warning against needless ruptures.
Maine’s Susan Collins, representing a border state, highlighted the tariffs’ toll on local industries like lobster fishing and manufacturing, where jobs and exports face immediate peril.
Broader Trade Ripples
This Canada vote follows a near-identical Senate success on Tuesday, repealing 50 percent duties on Brazilian beef.
Both resolutions expose limits on executive tariff authority, potentially setting precedents for future disputes.
Trump, voicing frustration over Canadian pushback, has hinted at further measures, but congressional momentum suggests checks on unilateral power.
As the House weighs similar steps, the episode tests the boundaries of presidential prerogative versus legislative oversight in an era of weaponized economics.