U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is scheduled to meet with House Republicans on Wednesday as President Donald Trump's tariff strategy against Canada escalates and becomes a point of contention on the campaign trail.
Greer will attend the Republican Study Committee's weekly lunch, according to sources familiar with the planning. Lawmakers are expected to discuss the ongoing trade dispute between the U.S. and Canada, which has seen both nations impose significant tariffs on each other's goods.
President Trump accused Canadian businesses of "ripping us off for decades" in a social media post on Sunday, asserting that Canada "wants to be treated like a state, but they aren't one." The U.S. imposed a 50% tariff on a range of Canadian goods in late July, which Canada countered with its own tariffs of up to 50% on U.S. imports.
Adding another layer to the tensions, Trump signed an executive order earlier in August to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America." The executive order was signed during an event in the Oval Office amid the ongoing trade war.
Trump's use of tariffs has been a significant political issue during his second term. In February, the House passed a bill aimed at reversing Trump's earlier tariffs on Canada. Six Republicans voted in favor of the bill, with only one Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, voting against it.