The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) has sent the following letter in support of joint Senate Resolution 37, brought forward by Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, which calls for the reversal of the Trump administration's tariffs on Canadian goods and services:
March 25, 2025
Dear Senator:
As the Executive Officers of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), representing 90,000 workers in the private, public, and federal sectors across North America, we are writing in support of S.J. Res. 37, legislation authored by Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, that aims to reverse the Trump Administration’s erroneous use of the national emergency designation under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to allow the President to impose senseless tariffs on good and services imported from Canada.
The basis by which the Trump Administration is exercising the national security declaration is misleading and flat-out false, most notably the President’s inexplicable claims that there are massive amounts of fentanyl crossing our Northern border. According to the March 2025 U.S. Customs and Border Protection report titled “Stats and Summaries – Drug Seizure Statistic,” fentanyl seizures at the Northern border account for only 1% of total seizures. Despite this, and to maintain the productive and strong partnership our two nations have enjoyed for decades, Canada nonetheless expanded the already robust joint enforcement activities and has banned fentanyl analogs. Yet the Trump Administration continues to make fictitious claims that tariffs are in response to fentanyl coming across the Northern border.
Fair trade that results in increased manufacturing and good-paying union represented jobs for working families should be a bipartisan issue that we all agree on. For example, IFPTE offered qualified support for the previous Trump Administration’s negotiated USMCA trade pact in 2019. While not perfect, that trade agreement provided for enforceable labor standards that previous trade agreements had not. However, the current Trump Administration has decided to undermine the progress made through the USMCA by imposing tariffs. It makes no sense. To be clear, IFPTE has long supported strategically applied tariffs that help to bring a level of fairness to working families when countries violate trade pacts and engage in unfair trade practices. Canada does not fall into this category. Canada is America’s closest ally and number one trading partner. Our trading relationship uplifts American and Canadian working families alike.
Imposing reckless tariffs on Canadian imports will harm both the U.S. and Canadian economies and do even greater harm to working families on both sides of the border. Congress must step in now to block this reckless and destructive policy. IFPTE urges Senators to both cosponsor and pass S.J Res. 37, and to use the power of the purse by defunding the Trump Administration’s ability to implement tariffs on Canada.
The IFPTE logo on the letterhead of this letter serves as a constant affirmation of our union’s belief that a strong cross-border partnership, one based on mutual interests and mutual respect, benefits every IFPTE union member throughout North America. We believe those same principles guide the relationship between our two national governments and will necessarily improve the livelihoods of people in both countries.
Thank you for considering our letter. Should you have any questions please contact IFPTE Legislative Director Faraz Khan at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Matthew S. Biggs, President
Gay Henson, Secretary-Treasurer
