Full Breakdown
Gellert Global Group Sues Over 50% Trump Tariffs on Canadian Cheese
By Drooid · · How we work
In this breakdown
01
Core Event
The Liberty Justice Center, a non-profit legal advocacy group, filed a lawsuit on behalf of Gellert Global Group, a third-generation family-owned food distributor, challenging the Trump administration’s 50 percent tariffs on selected Canadian goods. The suit, filed in a U.S. federal court, seeks a reversal of the duties and refunds for tariffs already paid. Gellert Global’s CEO Thomas Gellert said the company can no longer absorb the cost and risks losing shelf space for Canadian cheese products.
02
Background & Context
The tariffs were imposed after trade talks with Canada collapsed in August, invoking Section 338 of the U.S. Tariff Act (the Smoot-Hawley Act), a Depression-era statute never before used for tariffs. The administration justified the measures by claiming Canada discriminated against the United States through bans on American alcohol, dairy protections, and auto-sector policies. The product list originally covered roughly $28 billion in Canadian imports—including cement, road salt, hockey sticks, and various cheeses—and has been adjusted twice, partly at the request of Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who sought exemptions for her state’s businesses.
03
Data & Statistics
- Gellert Global imports about US $80 million worth of Canadian cheeses each year, including Celebrity goat cheese from Mariposa Dairy (Lindsay, Ont.).
- The tariffs apply at 50 percent on the targeted goods.
- Initial coverage spanned ? $28 billion of Canadian products, with subsequent additions and removals.
04
Official Statements & Responses
The organization also highlighted a disconnect between alleged Canadian discrimination and the specific cheese products targeted. The Trump administration maintains that Canada’s retaliatory measures constitute discrimination, thereby justifying the tariffs under the statute.
05
Criticism & Opposition
Liberty Justice Center chair and CEO Sarah Albrecht contended that the president should not wield a dormant statute to impose broad tariffs without congressional limits. Trade lawyer Ryan Majerus noted a strong possibility that the courts could reverse the duties, pointing to the administration’s difficulty in linking the tariffs to genuine discrimination and the undermining effect of product-list adjustments.
06
Verbatim Quotes
- “We felt like our job wasn't done if the President keeps putting illegal tariffs on different countries,” — Sarah Albrecht, the chair and CEO of the Liberty Justice Center
- “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,” — Sarah Albrecht, the chair and CEO of the Liberty Justice Center
- “There's a good chance it could get reversed,” — Ryan Majerus, a trade lawyer and partner at King & Spalding International Trade Group
- “I think they can make some creative arguments on how they're able to kind of invoke the authority broadly,” — Ryan Majerus, a trade lawyer and partner at King & Spalding International Trade Group