Democrats target Trump’s Canada tariffs after midterm sweep

Democrats who won control of both chambers of Congress in the November 3 midterms say President Trump's tariffs on Canada will be their first trade target. Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden told The Wall Street Journal that "there is strong backing for eliminating the tariffs on goods imported from Canada" and said he has "already begun discussions" with colleagues on legislation before he takes the committee gavel in January. Wyden also said a repeal bill could draw enough bipartisan support to block or override a veto, and that Congress "must take away the president's ability to unilaterally and arbitrarily impose tariffs".wsj.com+1

The plan puts trade at the center of the new majority's agenda. It also sets up an early test of Trump's veto power.

A 100-day goal

Speaking with CBC News on Capitol Hill on November 4, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin said he hopes Democrats will move on Canada trade "within the first 100 days" after they take power. "That's one of the reasons we won Congress back — because we're going to put an end to these tariffs," he said. Raskin won a sixth term and is in line to chair the House Judiciary Committee.cbc.ca

On November 4, Wyden released a statement promising to "end Trump's disastrous and corrupt tariffs" and reassert congressional authority over trade. One existing vehicle is Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer's "End Trump's Tariff Tax Act." The bill would repeal Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, the law behind the 50% tariffs on Canadian goods.finance.senate.gov+1

The veto problem

Analysts say repeal will be hard. Overriding a veto takes 67 senators and 290 House members, and trade experts say Democrats will likely fall short of those numbers. Bill Reinsch of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said building a veto-proof coalition "would be very, very difficult". The Cato Institute's Scott Lincicome said Democrats might win over some Republicans on "narrow things — targeting Canada, for example". After the results came in, Trump posted an image of a red hat with the word "VETO" on it.marketplace.org+2

Ottawa stays the course

Canada's government says it is not changing course. Dominic LeBlanc, the minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, said Ottawa will keep negotiating with Trump and his cabinet. "They remain in office today. And those are the people with whom we'll be having those conversations," he said. RBC expects the new Congress to use its first 100 days on bills that force recorded votes on tariffs, including those on Canada, to see which Republicans will break with the White House.rbc.com+1