Food importer files new lawsuit to block Trump's Canada tariffs
SPY•Gellert Global Group sued to block 50% tariffs on a range of Canadian imports, arguing that the Trump administration improperly invoked a rarely used 1930 law. The New Jersey-based importer, which says it imports Canadian cheeses subject to the duties, seeks to represent similarly affected businesses.
1. Lawsuit challenges tariff authority
Gellert Global Group sued the Trump administration in the U.S. Court of International Trade to stop 50% tariffs on many Canadian imports. The lawsuit, filed by the Liberty Justice Center on the importer’s behalf, argues that Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 has been superseded by later laws and that the administration has exceeded its authority.
2. Tariffs cover varied imports
The tariffs, imposed over the summer, apply to products including wine, furniture, dairy products, cement, clothing, fishing rods and hockey equipment. Gellert Global, a New Jersey-based food importer with $1.7 billion in annual revenue, imports Canadian cheeses subject to the duties and seeks to represent a class of similarly affected businesses.
3. Trade tensions continue
The lawsuit is the fourth legal challenge to a wide-ranging Trump tariff policy during his second term. The tariffs followed a breakdown in U.S.-Canada trade talks; Canada responded with tariffs on some U.S. imports. Canadian minister Dominic LeBlanc said the two sides remain in touch and that he expects them to find a deal.
