Trump’s agenda threatens Michigan jobs and raises prices on goods and services Michiganders rely on
LANSING — Today, Trump’s blanket tariffs on Canada and Mexico will go into effect. Michigan leaders are talking about the devastating consequences of Trump’s blunt tariffs on Michigan’s economy if he keeps pushing his extremist agenda.
“Trump’s billionaire buddies won’t pay for these turbulent tariffs, working people will,” said Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party Curtis Hertel. “In Michigan, we know that our trade policies aren’t working for working people, but instead of fixing our trade deals to bring back good blue-collar jobs, Trump is playing a game of chicken and using American workers as pawns to advance his own political agenda.
“This isn’t about Republicans versus Democrats; this is about billionaires versus working families, and Trump has made it obvious who he cares about.”
Read more about the impact of Trump’s tariffs on Michigan below:
Wall Street Journal: Trump’s Latest Tariffs Are Bad for Michigan
- America can win this fight if our trade policy is strategic and—crucially—developed and implemented alongside our trade partners. The president’s proposals to put 25% tariffs on both Canada and global steel imports are the opposite…
- Mr. Trump’s proposed 25% tariff on Canada would stack costs on U.S. automakers at each crossing. If that’s combined with the 25% steel tariff the president wants, consumer prices for some American-made vehicles could rise by as much as $10,000.
Crain’s Detroit Business: Michigan will be hit harder by tariffs than other states — and not just the auto industry
- While Michigan consumers can expect to see higher prices on products from China, it’s Michigan’s business class that will suffer under the tariffs on its allies to the north and south.
- Manufacturing-centric Michigan is more exposed to tariffs than other states. Automotive remains the most important sector in the state, which has more vehicle manufacturing jobs than anywhere else in the country. More than 9% of Michigan’s gross domestic product is tied to auto — higher than any other state, according to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation.
Detroit Free Press: The auto industry, with 5-year product cycles, can’t pivot on a dime to adapt to tariffs
- Ford is not alone. Stellantis Chairman John Elkann last week urged Trump to keep products built in Mexico and Canada “tariff-free,” according to Reuters. He said tariffs on those countries could significantly reduce Stellantis’ profits after the maker of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Fiat is already struggling to recover from what it called a “rough” 2024.
- “Tariffs may be good in certain situations but, overall, someone has to pay for increased prices no matter where they are produced, and that will likely be the consumer,” Harbour said. “This means lower vehicle sales and that will reverberate through the supply chain.”
Detroit News: Trump’s threatened tariffs already affecting economy, auto industry as deadline looms
- President Donald Trump’s pledged 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, which business leaders and economists have warned will broadly harm key industries in Michigan and the United States, are set to take effect Tuesday unless last-minute deals delay or cancel them again.
- About 82% of the 203 respondents said the proposed tariffs on Mexico would negatively impact their business, per MEMA data. Another 12% said the impact would be neutral and 6% said it would be positive. If the tariffs persist for six months or more, nearly half said they would need to cut jobs.
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