StateofVermont
HouseofRepresentatives
Montpelier,Vermont
JointHouseResolution
J.R.H.2
OfferedbyRepresentativesPageofNewportCity,BerbecoofWinooski,
BlackofEssex,Bos-LunofWestminster,BurkeofBrattleboro,Campbellof
St.Johnsbury,CinaofBurlington,CordesofBristol,CritchlowofColchester,
DemarofEnosburgh,DonahueofNorthfield,GoldmanofRockingham,
HarrisonofChittenden,HeadrickofBurlington,KeyserofRutlandCity,Labor
ofMorgan,LipskyofStowe,LuneauofSt.AlbansCity,MarcotteofCoventry,
McFaunofBarreTown,NelsonofDerby,SibiliaofDover,andSurprenantof
Barnard
JointresolutionurgingPresidentTrumptorefrainfromimposingtariffson
goodsandservicesimportedfromCanada
Whereas,theUnitedStatesandCanadahavebeenmilitaryanddiplomatic
alliesandeconomicpartners,eventhroughepisodesofcommercial
disagreement,sinceCanadianconfederationin1867,andmostespeciallyfrom
WorldWarIIforward, and
Whereas,accordingtoTDBank,duringthefirstthreequartersof2024,
approximately$683billionincombinedgoodsandserviceswasshippedin
bothdirectionsacrosstheUnitedStates-Canadaborder,and
Whereas,thesamereportalsonotedthatCanadaistheUnitedStates’
numberoneexportmarket, and
Whereas,significantelementsofthistradeareintegrated,especiallyinthe
automobilemanufacturingsector, and
Whereas,evenclosertohome,thepersonalandcommercialtiesbetween
VermontandCanadaareamongtheclosestofanyAmericanstatetoits
northernneighbor, and
Whereas,thepersonalaspectofthisrelationshipisreflectedintheStateof
VermontofferingitsresidentsenhancedIDsfordriverandnondriver
identification,inordertofacilitateeasiercross-bordertravel, and
Whereas,for2023,theCanadianConsulateinBostonreportedthatVermont
exported$680millioningoodsand$165millioninservicestoCanada, and
Whereas,in2023,Vermontimported$2.6billioningoodsfromCanadaand
CanadianinvestmentsintheStatesupportedover17,000Vermontjobs, and
Whereas,accordingtotheDepartmentofPublicService,in2023,24
percentofVermont’selectricsupplyportfoliowasservedbyHydro-Québec,
asidefromanyrenewableenergycredits,andVermontGasSystemsreceives
100percentofitsgasfromCanada, and
Whereas,inrecentyears,GovernorPhilipScotthasrepeatedlytraveledto
MontrealontrademissionsandhasstrivedtoenhanceVermont-Quebectrade
ties, and Whereas,onMondayFebruary3,2025,theUnitedStatescamewithin
hoursofimposinga25percenttariffonmostCanadianproductsenteringour
countryandacorresponding10percenttariffonenergyproductsand
services, and
Whereas,theGovernmentofCanadawaspreparedtorespondinkindhad
theUnitedStatesproceededwithitsannouncedintentionstoimplementthese
tariffs, and
Whereas,shortlybeforethedeadline,theUnitedStatesannounceda30-day
delaybeforeanytariffswithCanadamightbeimposed,leavingasenseof
immediatereliefbutaperiodofworrisomeuncertainty, and
Whereas,theUnitedStatesimportsmoresteelandaluminumfromCanada
thanfromanyothernation,andthe25percentuniversallyapplicabletariffon
theseproducts,whichtheUnitedStatesannouncedonFebruary10,2025,will
significantlyimpactbothnations’economies, and
Whereas,theseparateissueofapossible25percenttariffonmostCanadian
goodsenteringtheUnitedStatesandanassociated10percenttariffonimports
ofCanadianenergyproducts,alongwiththeeconomicanddailyliving
implicationsforVermontandVermonters,remainsonthetable, and
Whereas,GovernorPhilipScotthasestablishedaninteragencytaskforceto
prepareforthestillrealpotentialthattheseproposedtariffs,asidefromthose
alreadyimposedonsteelandaluminum,willtakeeffect, and
Whereas,althoughtheGovernor’sforesighttodevelopacontingencyplan
fortheworst-casescenarioisprudentandappropriate,theidealsituation
wouldbeforthetaskforce’scontingenciestoproveunnecessary,asthe
duelingtariffscouldresultinadisruptioninlong-establishedindustrialand
othercommercialrelationshipsandagreements,andthetwonation’stariffs
couldprovecostlyforconsumersonbothsidesofoursharedinternational
boundary,nowthereforebeit
ResolvedbytheSenateandHouseofRepresentatives:
ThattheGeneralAssemblyurgesPresidentDonaldJ.Trumptorefrain
fromimposingtariffsongoodsandservicesimportedintotheUnitedStates
fromCanada,and be it further
Resolved:ThattheSecretaryofStatebedirectedtosendacopyofthis
resolutiontoPresidentDonaldJ.Trump,GovernorPhilipB.Scott,Prime
MinisterJustinTrudeauofCanada,PremierFrançoisLegault,andtheVermont
CongressionalDelegation.