Untested in court, Trump’s new tariffs on Canada raise legal questions

President Donald Trump has invoked a 96-year-old statute, Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, to impose a 50% tax on $20 billion worth of Canadian imports. This move has led to retaliatory measures from Ottawa and strained relations between the two countries. The statute has never been tested in court, and its constitutionality is uncertain. Critics argue that the Depression-era law is outdated and superseded by more recent trade laws, which limit the president's authority to impose tariffs under specific circumstances.