Alaska House asks for cooldown in Trump-triggered US-Canada trade dispute
House Majority Leader Chuck Kopp, R-Anchorage, speaks on Monday, March 24, 2025, in favor of House Joint Resolution 11. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
The Alaska House of Representatives is asking the Trump administration and Canadian government to step back from a brewing trade war.
In a 33-4 vote Monday, the House approved a resolution saying that state lawmakers oppose 'restrictive trade measures or tolls that would harm the unique relationship between Canada and Alaska or negatively affect our integrated economies.'
If approved by the Alaska Senate, the resolution would be sent to national officials in both the United States and Canada.
Monday's vote comes amid continued threats by the Trump administration against the government of Canada, including claims that Canada should be 'the 51st state.'
The Trump administration has prepared a large number of tariffs against Canadian imports, and the Canadian government has preemptively enacted retaliatory measures.
In British Columbia, the government has introduced legislation that could lead to tolls on traffic traveling between Alaska and the Lower 48.
'In a time when there's much global uncertainty, Alaska is speaking with the voice that is — in one sense pleading between our two greatest powers, our government — the United States — and the Canadian government, to come together, to work together amicably, to resolve the tariff situation in a way that shows the respect for territorial sovereignty of both nations, and in a way that recognizes how urgently we need this relationship,' said House Majority Leader Chuck Kopp, R-Anchorage.
Alaska annually exports almost $600 million in goods to Canada while importing more than $750 million from the country, the resolution states. At least 20,300 Alaska jobs rely on ties to Canada, it says.
Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau, noted that Alaska and Canada have social and cultural ties that predate the creation of either country, with Indigenous communities stretching across what is now an international border.
'If we take care to acknowledge — if we continue to exercise mutual respect, support and cooperation, we can more easily resolve the disputes that might arise, and continue to enjoy the manifest benefits of our relationship between Alaska and our good neighbor, Canada,' said Rep. Dan Saddler, R-Eagle River.
None of the lawmakers who voted against the resolution spoke on the House floor about their decision. After the vote, Rep. Bill Elam, R-Nikiski and one of the 'no' voters, said he didn't think it was appropriate for a state legislature to be dabbling in foreign affairs.
HJR 11 has not yet been set for a hearing in the Senate; a similarly written companion resolution is in the Senate Rules Committee.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Protests Spread Beyond Los Angeles over Immigration Raids
Police officers tackle and drag a protestor during a rainy anti-ICE demonstration in New York. Credit - Madison Swart/ Hans Lucas — AFP via Getty Images Anti-ICE demonstrations are expected to spread to more cities this week after days of unrest in Los Angeles, with at least 30 new protests planned across the country in response to the Trump Administration's recent immigration raids. Additional protests have already broken out in San Francisco, Sacramento, Houston, San Antonio, Chicago and New York, where activists rallied over the weekend and into Monday in solidarity with demonstrators in Los Angeles. By Monday afternoon, organizers had scheduled demonstrations in nearly every major city, signaling a growing backlash to the Trump Administration's immigration enforcement tactics and its deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles. Read more: Trump Suggests Arresting Gavin Newsom, Escalating Tensions Over ICE Raids The protests were sparked by a series of workplace immigration raids last week, and escalated after the arrest of David Huerta, the president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) of California, during a demonstration in Los Angeles on Friday. Huerta, a prominent labor and civil rights leader, was taken into federal custody and hospitalized after what ICE described as interference with a federal operation. His arrest has galvanized organized labor, with SEIU chapters announcing nationwide demonstrations in his defense and in protest of what they called a 'clear attack on our communities.' In Los Angeles, the protests have grown larger and more confrontational since Friday. Hundreds of demonstrators marched downtown and clashed with law enforcement. Some protesters set barricades in the streets, vandalized buildings, and hurled objects at law enforcement. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds, and the California Highway Patrol used flash-bang grenades to clear demonstrators after a group blocked traffic. Read more: Can the President Activate a State's National Guard? At least 150 people have been arrested in Los Angeles since the protests began, and city officials warned that further disruptions could continue throughout the week. Trump authorized the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to the city over the weekend, bypassing California Governor Gavin Newsom, who called the move 'a violation of state sovereignty' and signaled plans to challenge the decision in court. Trump has described protesters as 'insurrectionists' and 'professional agitators' who 'should be in jail.' A map of anti-ICE demonstrations posted by SEIU showed that events were planned in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Seattle, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Charlotte, Portland, St. Paul, Santa Fe, and more. Additional demonstrations may also take place, though the largest demonstrations remain centered in Los Angeles, where National Guard soldiers in tactical gear continue to patrol areas downtown. 'ICE's brutal, military-style tactics have no place in our communities,' SEIU wrote in a post on X. 'We demand safety. We demand respect. We demand David's release.' Write to Nik Popli at
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mexico's president condemns violence amid protests against ICE raids
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday denounced acts of violence linked to widespread demonstrations in Los Angeles against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Speaking during her regular morning news conference, Sheinbaum called for respect for legal processes in immigration enforcement and asked U.S. officials to uphold the rule of law. 'We condemn violence wherever it comes from,' Sheinbaum said, per Reuters. The protests erupted on Friday after Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted raids in the city and surrounding communities. Demonstrations were largely peaceful, but tensions flared Saturday and Sunday. Police have reported 42 arrests after Sunday's protests turned violent, including 19 by the California Highway Patrol, who were called to a demonstration that closed the 101 Freeway through DTLA for several hours. Local and state leaders, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, have criticized President Donald Trump's use of the National Guard in trying to quell anti-ICE immigration, saying the escalation in force has led and will only lead to further trouble. Newsom also announced plans to sue the Trump administration over the deployment. Trump also indicated that he would be willing to bring in the U.S. Marines if he deemed the situation warranted it. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mom buys product she thought was U.S.-made, but warns of misleading labels
As President Trump's trade war continues, some consumers are searching for products made in the U.S. When Mary Schubart set out to buy bedding for her twins heading off to college, she was looking for products that were safe, provided comfort and, if possible, she wanted to buy American-made. "I like the idea of buying to support the local economy, but my overriding concern was safer," Schubart said. Schubart said she thought she found the perfect mattress pads from Pottery Barn Teen. It was advertised online as "crafted in the USA," but when they arrived, she was surprised to see one of the tags read "made in China." "I knew it is one of the countries that has less stringent regulations pertaining to health and pertaining to final product production, so I was disappointed," she said. Schubart reported her findings to Truth in Advertising, a nonprofit watchdog group that investigates when companies make false claims. Laura Smith, the Truth in Advertising legal director, said they had already flagged false claims by Pottery Barn Teen to the Federal Trade Commission. "We had found 800-plus examples of products marketed as 'made in the USA' or 'crafted in America' when they were actually imported," Smith said, of the merchandise found on seven William Sonoma websites in 2019. Schubart's complaint led to the largest "Made in the USA" civil penalty in history, with more than $3 million against Williams Sonoma, the parent company of Pottery Barn Teen. In a statement, Williams Sonoma apologized for what it called an "administrative mistake," saying, "Last year, we received an FTC fine due to an unintentional administrative mistake associated with the online product descriptions of seven items we sell. We are deeply sorry for any confusion that may have been caused by the inaccurate information that was shared, and we have improved our processes to help prevent similar incidents in the future." "Civil penalties, as long as they're more than a slap on the wrist, they can have a real impact. But it needs to be a fine that's big enough to hurt," Smith said. What qualifies as "Made in the USA?" The Federal Trade Commission requires that products advertised as "Made in the USA" be all or virtually all manufactured domestically. Plus, the ingredients or components must be made and sourced in the United States, which is the issue in a current lawsuit against Reynolds Aluminum foil for its "Made in the USA" label. The suit claims the product's key raw material, Bauxite, is not mined in the U.S. Reynolds says the claims have no merit and it will defend the case. How to know if a product is American-made Amid Mr. Trump's tariffs on certain products, some companies have said they plan to invest more in U.S. manufacturing. To verify if a product is "Made in the USA," check the label for that exact wording. Beware of qualifying language like "Assembled in the USA" or "with imported parts." If you're unsure, consumers can verify with the brand by going to its website or calling directly. Australian reporter covering Los Angeles protests shot with rubber bullet by police officer Kristi Noem says "we are not going to let a repeat of 2020 happen" amid L.A. crackdown Magic in the dark: The fantastical worlds of Lightwire Theater
