Dear Senator:
On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I urge you to support S.J. Res. 37, a resolution introduced by Senator Tim Kaine to terminate the national emergency that was declared to justify tariffs on imports from Canada under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
For decades, the AFL-CIO has stood at the forefront of the fight for fair trade. We have consistently called on administrations of both parties to use every available tool — including tariffs — when other countries engage in unfair trade practices that cost American workers their jobs.
The Trump administration’s national emergency declaration attempts to justify tariffs on Canadian imports by alleging that Canada is not doing enough to stop the illicit flow of fentanyl across the northern border into the United States. However, according to data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, less than 1 percent of the total fentanyl entering the United States comes from Canada. In short, Canada is not the problem when it comes to addressing the very real harms that the fentanyl epidemic is inflicting on communities across our country.
We support the strategic use of tariffs to protect workers from unfair competition and strengthen domestic manufacturing, including tariffs designed to achieve compliance with trade deals like the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. However, imposing large, across the board tariffs on Canada aimed at non-trade objectives will only cause unnecessary economic pain for workers and businesses on both sides of the border. In addition, the proposed tariffs ignore our close economic and security relationship with Canada, a steadfast ally and fellow member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
We urge you to support S.J. Res. 37 and to work with unions to promote a worker-centered trade agenda that protects jobs, rebuilds American manufacturing, supports American agriculture and addresses the real challenges facing workers in the global economy.
Sincerely,
Jody Calemine
Director, Government Affairs