Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is pressing Congress to repeal tariffs imposed on Canadian goods under a 1930 trade law and stop a planned ban on certain imports from Canada. The ban on products including dairy, alcohol and motorcycles is set to take effect next week, according to her office; her bill has not passed.
Gillibrand's announcement of the Banning Antiquated Duties and Delivering Equitable American Levies Act says the measure would remove duties imposed under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930. It would also refund duties already paid under that authority, including those tied to President Donald Trump's 50% tariffs on Canada.
Gillibrand said she wants a vote before the import restrictions begin. Her office did not give the exact effective date in the release or estimate how quickly refunds would be issued if Congress approved the measure.
The senator argued that the tariffs and proposed import ban raise costs for New York households and businesses. She said Canada is a major export market for the state and that New York imports more than $20 billion in Canadian goods annually. Those figures were presented by her office; the release did not identify the period or underlying data for its household-cost estimates.
Her office projected that the 50% Canadian tariffs could cost U.S. businesses and households as much as $10 billion a year. That is a national projection, not a New York-specific bill or a cost already incurred.
Gillibrand introduced the measure with Sen. Peter Welch. Sens. Jacky Rosen and Amy Klobuchar are cosponsors, and Rep. Brad Schneider introduced companion legislation in the House in August.
The proposal follows earlier bills Gillibrand backed to end other Trump tariffs and refund duties paid by small businesses. Those are separate measures and would not themselves enact the repeal in the new bill.
The Canadian tariffs and planned ban remain in place under the status described in Gillibrand's announcement. Congress would have to pass the legislation, and the president would have to sign it, for the proposed repeal and refunds to take effect.
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