Senate approves Democratic resolution to block Trump’s tariffs on Canada

Washington — The Senate voted Wednesday to approve a resolution that would block President Trump’s tariffs on Canada, a day after the chamber rebuked the president with another vote to block tariffs on Brazil.

In a 50 to 46 vote, four Republicans joined Democrats to approve the measure, which would terminate the national emergency used to impose tariffs on some goods from Canada. Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul of Kentucky broke with their party to vote in favor of the resolution, which required a simple majority and was not subject to the 60-vote threshold needed for most legislation.

The move is mostly symbolic, since it is unlikely to be taken up in the GOP-controlled House. Republican leaders have taken steps to prevent lawmakers from forcing a vote on the president’s tariffs in the lower chamber.

For months, trade tensions have flared between the U.S. and Canada. In August, the president raised tariffs on the country to 35%, though a large share of goods remain exempt under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. 

Then, over the weekend, Mr. Trump said he is raising tariffs on Canada by an additional 10%, blasting the U.S.’s northern neighbor over an anti-tariff ad by the government of Ontario that used quotes from former President Ronald Reagan.

In February, Mr. Trump declared a national emergency with respect to “the public health crisis of deaths due to the use of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, and the failure of Canada to do more” to combat “drug and human traffickers, criminals at large, and drugs.”

Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, forced a vote to challenge the move under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, effectively bypassing Senate leadership. He has argued that the tariffs on one of the nation’s top trading partners aren’t justified under the emergency. 

“I don’t think you can say that fentanyl is not an emergency vis-a-vis Mexico or China, but it is ridiculous to say that fentanyl is an emergency with respect to Canada,” Kaine said. “And it’s a pretext that’s just being used to pour more and more tariffs onto Canada.”

The vote came after the Senate on Tuesday approved a resolution that would block Mr. Trump’s tariffs on Brazil, with five Republicans joining Democrats to back the measure. Wednesday’s vote also marked the second time lawmakers have weighed in on the Canada tariffs, after the Senate approved a resolution aimed at blocking the levies in April.