VideoU.S.–Canada
Former Trump economic adviser Gary Cohn calls for Canada tariff rollback
Two voices from Trump's political orbit want Canada's 50% tariffs rolled back while the White House vows to keep its pace.
Summary
On Tuesday, November 10, at the B20 summit in Washington, a White House official said tariffs would keep their current pace for the rest of Trump's term. Later that day, Gary Cohn, Trump's former chief economic adviser, called tariffs "a consumption tax on the U.S. consumer" and urged freeing Canada from them. The same day, Mike Pence's advocacy group, Advancing American Freedom, published a memo declaring the Section 338 tariffs on Canada unlawful.
The memo argues that Section 338 lets a president act when a foreign country discriminates against American commerce, and that Canada's counter-tariffs were a response to American duties rather than discrimination. It also says the dairy dispute belongs in CUSMA panels. Cohn, who resigned from the White House on March 6, 2018, after losing the steel and aluminum tariff fight, framed tariffs as a cost paid by American consumers.
The video argues that Canada's restraint has become evidence on an American letterhead. Consumer prices rose 0.4% in October, and a Reuters/Ipsos poll found 62% of Americans back repealing Trump's tariffs. The next tests are the Court of International Trade and the new Congress.
Key points
- A White House official says tariffs will keep their current pace for the rest of Trump's term.
- Gary Cohn said tariffs are "a consumption tax on the U.S. consumer" and called for rolling back the Canada tariffs.
- The October 23 proclamation dropped 22 product lines and added 100 more under the 1930 Section 338 law.
- The memo calls the Canada tariffs unlawful and says the dairy dispute belongs in CUSMA panels.
- 62% of Americans support repealing Trump's tariffs (Reuters/Ipsos); only 21% approve of his handling of the cost of living.
- According to the memo, U.S. trade with Canada is down $50 billion since March 2025.
Questions answered
Why does Gary Cohn want the Canada tariffs rolled back?
Cohn, Trump's former chief economic adviser, called tariffs a consumption tax on American consumers. At the B20 summit in Washington on November 10, he said Congress could make many crucial tariffs permanent while freeing some tariffs between Canada and the United States.
What is Section 338 and why does the memo call Canada's tariffs unlawful?
Section 338 is a 1930 trade law that lets a president act when a foreign country discriminates against American commerce, with duties capped at 50%. The Advancing American Freedom memo argues that responding to a trade restriction is not discrimination, so the law's standard is not met.
How has the Canada tariff fight affected trade and prices?
The memo says U.S. trade with Canada has fallen by $50 billion since March 2025. U.S. consumer prices rose 0.4% in October, more than economists expected, and a Reuters/Ipsos poll found 62% of Americans support repealing Trump's tariffs.
What comes next for the Canada tariffs?
The video points to three things to watch: a challenge by an American cheese importer at the Court of International Trade, due to be heard in January; the new Congress, where Democrats have named the Canada tariffs as a first target; and the White House's next price report.
Prepared by the CanadaNext Editor with AI assistance from public reporting and CanadaNext's own videos. Sources are linked. How we work