Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., slammed the Trump administration Friday for its move to impose steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and European Union.
The senator, usually an advocate of protectionist trade policies, said the administration’s policy was “haphazard and reckless” for not exempting Canada from the tariffs.
“I strongly support imposing stiff penalties on countries like China, Russia, South Korea and Vietnam to prevent them from illegally dumping steel and aluminum into the U.S. and throughout the world. American steel and aluminum workers need our help, and they need it now, but not at the expense of farmers, workers, small businesses and consumers in Vermont and throughout this country,” Sanders said.
On Friday U.S. tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on imported aluminum went into effect against Canada, Mexico, and the European Union. The trading partners had previously been exempted from the tariffs, first announced in March, as a temporary measure to see if the U.S. could resolve various trade disputes with them. After several weeks of talks with no progress, the U.S. announced Thursday the exemptions would be lifted.
Sanders said Canada at least should have been given more time. “Given Vermont’s proximity to Canada and our strong trade relations with Canada, these policies will be especially harmful to Vermont and other northern border states. It simply makes no sense to start a trade war with Canada, the European Union and others who are engaged in fair trade, are not cheating and where workers are paid a living wage with good benefits.”
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland called the tariffs “unprecedented and wrong” Thursday and said the U.S. would be hit with $12.8 billion in retaliatory tariffs.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday that the Trump administration had demanded he agree to including a sunset clause in the North American Free Trade Agreement as a precondition for meeting in Washington this week to discuss the tariffs. Trudeau balked and as a consequence the meeting didn’t happen.
