The U.S. House of Representatives approved a measure seeking to overturn President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports, with a small group of Republicans breaking ranks to join Democrats in backing the effort.
The resolution passed by a vote of 219 to 211, as six Republicans sided with nearly all Democrats in favor of rescinding the duties imposed last year. The action is not expected to alter U.S. trade policy in the near term.
The legislation must still pass the Republican-controlled Senate and would ultimately require Trump’s signature, an outcome widely viewed as improbable.
The vote marked one of the most direct congressional challenges yet to Trump’s trade agenda since his return to office.
Following his re-election, the president reinstated and expanded a range of tariffs, including measures targeting Canada, one of the United States’ largest trading partners. More recently, he threatened to impose a 100% tariff on certain Canadian imports in response to Ottawa’s proposed trade agreement with China.
As lawmakers debated the resolution on the House floor, Trump publicly urged members of his party to oppose it. “Any Republican, in the House or the Senate, that votes against TARIFFS will seriously suffer the consequences come Election time,” he wrote on Truth Social. He added that tariffs had delivered “Economic and National Security” benefits and warned that no Republican should be responsible for undermining them.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican and ally of the president, had sought to prevent consideration of the measure but was unable to block floor debate.
With Republicans holding only a narrow majority in the chamber, defections from within their ranks proved decisive.
The six Republican votes in favor of the resolution, combined with unified Democratic support, were sufficient to secure passage. The resolution was introduced by Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
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Meeks argued that the administration’s tariff strategy had strained relations with allies and created economic uncertainty. Speaking before the vote, he said Trump had “weaponized tariffs” and accused the president of destabilizing global markets.
Not only have these tariffs done immense harm to our relationship with Canada, pushing them closer to China, they have driven up prices here at home,” Meeks said.
Canada and the United States maintain one of the world’s largest bilateral trading relationships, with cross-border trade in goods and services totaling hundreds of billions of dollars annually. Industries including automotive manufacturing, agriculture and energy rely heavily on integrated supply chains that span the two countries.
Economists have warned that tariffs on Canadian goods can raise costs for U.S. businesses and consumers, depending on how widely they are applied and how long they remain in effect.
Among the Republicans who supported the resolution was Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska. Ahead of the vote, Bacon described the tariffs as a “net negative” for the U.S. economy. He said they function as a tax borne by American consumers, manufacturers and farmers.
Republican leaders in both chambers have largely defended Trump’s use of tariffs as leverage in trade negotiations and as a tool to address what they describe as unfair trade practices.
However, divisions have surfaced within the party over the economic impact of broad-based import duties, particularly in agricultural and manufacturing states that depend on export markets.
The measure now moves to the Senate, where Republicans also hold a majority. It is unclear whether Senate leaders will bring the resolution to a vote.
Even if it were to pass, Trump would have the option to veto it, and supporters would need a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override such a veto. A threshold that appears out of reach based on Wednesday’s vote count.
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Separately, the president’s tariff authority is under review by the U.S. Supreme Court. The justices are expected to rule in the coming months on a case that challenges the scope of executive power to impose tariffs without explicit congressional approval.
The outcome could have broader implications for the administration’s trade policy beyond the dispute with Canada. Meeks indicated that the Canada resolution is part of a broader legislative campaign.
In a video posted before the House vote, he said he plans to introduce additional measures aimed at ending tariffs imposed on other countries, including Mexico and Brazil, as well as what he referred to as the administration’s “Liberation Day” global tariffs. “Our fight doesn’t stop here,” Meeks said House vote represents a symbolic rebuke rather than an immediate policy shift.
The Senate’s next steps on the resolution have not been announced, and the White House has given no indication that the president would reconsider his position on the Canadian tariffs.