Rulers from a number of blue-state governments expressed concern that the new levies on Canada and Mexico will harm their economies.
The White House claims that the two nations must put more pressure on one another to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and medication into the United States, and the economic sanctions on exports of goods came into effect on Tuesday. Under the new regulations that doubled the Chinese levies in place last month, American energy items are subject to 10 % import duties.
Andy Beshear
The tariffs, according to Kentucky’s governor,” the Trump income,” may raise the price of firewood, making it more difficult to purchase both items like food and gas.
Unfortunately, President Trump imposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico last night, which will make everyone more expensive and difficult for the British people. In a video statement released on Tuesday, Andy Beshear (D-KY ) said. Let me tell you that President Trump was the only one to make this choice.
He continued,” They can finally undo this decision because it’s a bad one.”
Americans will have more to spend on daily expenses as a result of the taxes that were passed last evening.
Gas, shopping, and home prices will increase. No one voted for this, not the other way around. You are entitled to better. photograph. twitter.com/GapkTnzHBZ— Andy Beshear ( @AndyBeshearKY ) March 4, 2025
State business leaders have warned that the punishment could hurt a number of sectors, including the multi-billion money whiskey industry.
The president and CEO of Greater Louisville Inc., Sarah Davasher-Wisdom, told Spectrum News,” We’re really concerned about the taxes that have been announced. We anticipate that the effects will be felt mostly in agribusiness, energy, manufacturing, and bourbon when well. Because Kentucky’s bourbon industry has a$ 9 billion impact, that industry was one of the ones that the tariffs specifically addressed.
Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, declared that his nation had boycott British goods like “beer, liquor, and bourbon” in response to tariffs. Beshear warned that” the workers in [the bottling plants ]and ] people in the cooperages” would be harmed in light of his comments.
In 2023, Kentucky exported$ 43 million worth of liquor to Canada.
Kathy Hochul
New York’s government expressed concern that tariffs may harm her country’s crops center and fields, which generated$ 8.5 billion in revenue in 2022, in a statement released on Tuesday. Gov. Additionally, Kathleen Hochul (D-NY ) set up a roundtable with farmers in Albany to discuss the potential effects of the tariffs on the sector.
” Our trading partners include Canada and Mexico, but particularly Canada. We are, after all, border-crossing the country. And there is such a simple back-and-forth business stream, which we rely on because it is so critical to everyone, Hochul told farmers at the meeting on Tuesday morning. What are these levies going to do to my company when I consider all the tension that’s been on you all day long, and now you have to issue in,”? What did I do to get past this?
Governor of New York On Thursday, February 20, 2025, New York City Mayor Eric Adams is pictured at a press conference addressed by Kathy Hochul (D-NY ) in New York. ( AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson )
Katie Johnson
The tariffs, according to Arizona’s government, “are a tax on people and companies that threaten to create groceries and gasoline more expensive while harming crucial Arizona industries,” the government claimed on Tuesday.
Gov. Katie Johnson (D-AZ) also highlighted a press release her office sent out in early February detailing the economic effect Trump’s sanctions, particularly on Mexico, could have on Arizona’s economy.
Mexico imports from the nation to the state for a total of$ 11 billion, making it Arizona’s largest trading partner.
To raise the risk that new taxes pose to Arizona’s business, I joined with Arizona company and agricultural frontrunners.
These taxes are a taxes on households and firms that threaten to harm important Arizona-based companies by raising prices for groceries and gas. photograph. twitter.com/O6KSUZC4Da— Governor Katie Johnson (@GovernorHobbs) February 2, 2025
With nearly$ 20 billion in annual trade and significant contributions to vital industries like electronics, transportation, machinery, and agriculture, Mexico consistently ranks as the state’s top exporter and importer, according to Chris Camacho, president of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, in Hobbs’s release. Exports to Mexico support thousands of work in Arizona, while thousands more are made by Latino organizations in our position. Free and fair business is essential to the economic strength of Arizona, and international trade has a significant impact on our market.
Gretchen Whitmer
The state’s large auto industry could suffer a lot as a result of the tariffs, the governor of Michigan has long warned. Gov. After the White House announced on February 27 that the tariffs would start effective on March 4, Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI ) reiterated those worries.
” 25 % tariffs on everything would slow down construction, shutter small businesses, cause layoffs in the auto industry, and cost Michigan families an extra$ 1, 200 a year at the store and at the pump—because companies will pass their higher costs onto the consumer,” she said on X.
Only the Ambassador Bridge, the busiest foreign passing in North America, separates Detroit and Canada from each other. The gate between Detroit and Windsor, the auto-capitals of their separate nations, crosses hundreds of millions of dollars in products.
One of the biggest automakers in Detroit and the United States, General Motors, has dismissed concerns about the levies. In February, CEO Mary Barra stated that her business was prepared to deal with the economic sanctions and that GM may reduce up to 50 % of the taxes.
Mary Barra, the CEO of General Motors, addresses a press event on April 15, 2024, in Detroit. ( Photo: Carlos Osorio )
Ford’s CEO, Jim Farley, expressed deeper concerns by claiming that if tariffs are put in place, they do” significantly impact our economy with billions of dollars of business profits wiped out and negative effect on the U.S. jobs as well as the overall value system in our industry.”
Maura Healey
The Massachusetts government issued a warning on Monday that the tariffs, especially those applied to Canada, may lead to higher energy bills.
” Our strength here comes from Canada,” says the governor. In a video posted to X Monday, Maura Healey (D-MA ) stated. ” These taxes are going to produce our electricity costs to go up by over a billion dollars in Massachusetts alone,” said the minister. The price of gasoline and fuel is rising by 20 cents per gallon thanks to Donald Trump. Every time you pay at the pumps or go to heating your home, that’s going to hurt you.
According to the governor’s office, between 5 % and 10 % of the electricity used in New England is imported from Canada, which Healey believes could increase the cost of electricity in her state by up to$ 200 million annually.
The price of oil and gas is being hiked by Donald Trump by 20 cents per gallon. Every time you pay at the pumps or heat your home, that’s going to damage.
We can’t manage taxes, which are a lose-lose situation. photograph. twitter.com/hqAzwibTgf— Maura Healey ( @MassGovernor ) March 3, 2025
Jared Polis
Gov. The tariffs were described as a “horrible sales tax” by Sen. Jared Polis (D-CO ) and promised that they would raise” the price of everything Americans depend on, including goods like groceries, clothes, homes, technology, cars, and everyday items,” which would hurt American competitiveness.
Power costs are likely to be affected by the American tariffs on crude oil because Colorado’s just oil refinery is run by a Canadian-based business. According to a regional news channel, Suncor Energy accounts for roughly 40 % of the state’s industry for refined petroleum products.
Governor of Colorado On Thursday, July 11, 2024, Jared Polis arrives at the National Governors Association’s starting plenary session in Salt Lake City. ( AP Photo/Rick Bowmer )
Trump has expressed confidence that the taxes will only lead to” some temporary, short-term upheaval.”
As he examined the financial sanctions, he told reporters at the White House in January that “people may understand”.
Trump has even expressed concern that the United States is undermining regional economic growth, which is contrary to the mayor’s” America First” plan.
TRUMP HAS ALL CHALLENGES TO FINISHING THE AMERICAN SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND.
Last year, the United States had a$ 63.3 billion trade deficit with Canada and a$ 11.7 billion gap with Mexico.
The president has previously attributed the risk of tariffs to increasing monetary investment in the United States, including Honda’s decision to move production of its energy Political type from Mexico to Indiana and Apple’s decision to invest$ 500 million into businesses on the island.
