Congress voted against Trump's tariffs on Canada. What the media is writing
The U.S. House of Representatives voted against imposing tariffs on goods from Canada. This became possible after six Republicans went against the policies of President Donald Trump. In response, he threatened them with withholding electoral support. The head of the White House will still be able to veto the adopted resolution. How the world's media react to the rift in the Republican Party is in the Izvestia digest.
Financial Times: The House of Representatives voted to abolish duties on Canada
The US House of Representatives voted to cancel President Donald Trump's duties on Canada, which was a serious blow to the economic policy of the White House. The Republican-controlled lower house of Congress lifted the national emergency that Trump imposed in February 2025 to impose duties on Canadian imports. Six Republicans joined Democrats to support the measure. Before the vote, Trump threatened the lawmakers who voted for the repeal.
Financial Times
"Any Republican in the House of Representatives or the Senate who votes against TARIFFS will be seriously affected in the elections, including the primaries!" he wrote. "Tariffs have provided us with economic and national security, and no Republican should be responsible for revoking this privilege," he added.
Trump is likely to veto any tariff reduction bill that comes to his signature. However, Wednesday's vote was a blow to the president's attempts to change the global trade order and a signal of growing discontent among Republican lawmakers with his aggressive tariff policy ahead of the midterm elections in November. Opinion polls show that the majority of Americans disapprove of the president's imposition of tariffs.
CBC News: The House of Representatives condemned the outbreak of a trade war with Canada
The U.S. House of Representatives voted by 219 votes to 211 in favor of a resolution aimed at lifting the state of emergency imposed by Trump in February 2025 to strengthen his tariffs on a number of imported goods from Canada. Six Republicans, contrary to the opinion of the White House, joined the Democrats and voted for the measure.
CBC News
Trump's declaration of a state of emergency — that Canada's "inability" to address the cross—border trade in fentanyl has created an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. national security - is at the heart of the 35 percent duties currently in effect on a number of Canadian goods that are not subject to exemptions under the agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico.
The discussion coincided with the publication of the Congressional Budget Office's Economic and Fiscal Outlook report, prepared by an independent organization, which predicts that American businesses will incur 30% of additional import costs due to tariffs by reducing their profits, and the remaining 70% will be shifted to consumers in the form of price increases. Although work on the resolution has been underway since March last year, on Wednesday the House of Representatives had the opportunity to vote on it for the first time, as it was repeatedly blocked by the leadership of the Republican Party.
Bloomberg: Trump criticized for Canadian tariffs
The vote in the House of Representatives indicates increased political pressure to change the course of Trump's key economic policy just months before the midterm elections, including by forcing Republicans in swing districts affected by tariffs to weigh whether they should vote against the president. The results of the vote also indicate growing concerns about the White House's economic program ahead of the election, which is expected to focus on housing affordability.
Bloomberg
Although Trump is almost certain to veto any bill calling for the repeal of his tariff policy, making it unlikely that the bill will pass, the withdrawal of support from six Republicans, as well as the opposition of almost all Democrats, underscore Trump's increasingly precarious position in the House of Representatives, where he has a slim majority.
Republicans are fighting to retain control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which is complicated by the president's declining rating in opinion polls on the economy and immigration. Trump has a personal interest in maintaining the Republican majority — this will make it easier for him to pass laws that he supports and protect his administration from congressional investigations.
The New York Times: The House of Representatives dealt a symbolic but politically significant blow
Six Republicans joined almost all Democrats in supporting the resolution introduced by Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs committee. Although the Senate has made attempts in recent months to repeal the duties imposed by the president, this vote was the first opportunity for the House of Representatives to officially express its position on Trump's trade policy since his return to the White House and the beginning of using duties as an economic strategy.
The New York Times
"There is no state of emergency in the country," Meeks said from the rostrum of the House of Representatives, urging his colleagues to support the resolution. He and other Democrats argued that Trump's key economic policy was "not a strategy," but an "impulse."
For decades, Republicans have opposed tariffs and promoted free trade and open markets. But under Trump, they have largely come to terms with his protectionist policies. Although several Republicans joined the Democrats' protests against the president's approach, the number of renegades fell far short of the required two-thirds majority in both chambers to override the veto. However, Democrats hope to achieve similar success in challenging other duties.
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