US Importer Sues Over 50% Canadian Tariffs

Gellert Global Group, a New Jersey third-generation cheese importer, filed suit on October 20, 2026, in the U.S. Court of International Trade challenging President Donald Trump's 50% tariffs on Canadian goods. Liberty Justice Center represents the firm and a proposed class of importers. The complaint asks the court to declare the tariffs unlawful, block enforcement, and order refunds with interest for duties already paid. Trump used Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930—the first tariff use of the 96-year-old law—after U.S.-Canada trade talks broke down in August 2026. AP put covered goods at $20 billion; CNBC placed the imposition in July. In September he banned nearly $1 billion more in Canadian motorcycles, alcohol and dairy under the same statute. Sara Albrecht of Liberty Justice Center said no president should have the power to pull a dormant statute off the shelf and use it to impose sweeping tariffs or import bans without the limits Congress required. The center previously won a February 2026 Supreme Court ruling striking down earlier reciprocal tariffs, forcing refunds. Separate July 10%-12.5% tariffs citing forced labor are also in court. The White House and USTR did not immediately comment.