By Tiffany Williams –
At the White House on Thursday, President Trump told reporters he’d be putting a 25% tariff on Canada and 25% tariff on Mexico but seemed to condition that later in the gaggle when he told reporters he would decide overnight on the details of tariffs on Canada and Mexico. President Trump added that the tariffs on Canada and Mexico “May or may not rise with time.”
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey is sounding the alarm on President Trump’s plan to put tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
On Friday Healey in a statement in response to President Trump implementing a 25 percent tariff on goods coming into the United States from Canada and Mexico and a 10 percent tariff on goods from China said, “These countries represent Massachusetts’ three largest trading partners.” She added, “The number one issue facing the American people is high costs. The President’s tariffs represent nothing more than a giant price hike on the cost of groceries, clothes, phones, housing, and energy.”
Healey also said, “We estimate that electricity costs in New England alone will go up by as much as $200 million a year. Additionally, we rely on these countries for lumber and building materials, which means housing costs will rise, and housing production could stall. We need a partner in the White House who will lower costs for families and businesses in Massachusetts, and all we’ve seen thus far from this new administration are actions that will do the exact opposite.”
Governor Healey also noted in her statement, “Tariffs on Canada are expected to impact the dairy industry and raise the cost of milk, cheese and butter. Canada is also one of the largest suppliers of softwood lumber in the U.S., which means increased costs for housing, construction and home renovation. Tariffs on Canada will also impact the price of cars and car parts, energy, and fish and seafood. Tariffs on Mexico are expected to increase the cost of agricultural products like fruits, vegetables, avocados and tomatoes, as well as cars and car parts, beer and tequila, TVs and other electronics. Tariffs on China will increase the cost of smartphones, laptops, TVs and other electronics, furniture, clothing and toys. These tariffs also raise the risk of retaliatory tariffs on exports, which could be devastating for American businesses.”
Governor Healey isn’t the only New England Governor sounding the alarm. Governor Janet Mills of Maine also on Friday said, “I am deeply concerned that President Trump’s tariffs – especially those on Canada – will increase prices for Maine people at a time when they can least afford it. Canada is Maine’s largest trading partner and our economy is deeply intertwined with Canada’s economy. Maine businesses and Maine people rely on Canada not just to sell and purchase goods, but as a major source for energy, from heating fuel to gasoline to natural gas to electricity. These tariffs will drive up energy prices, increase the costs of every day goods that Maine people rely on, roil markets, and destabilize our economy. The President campaigned on bringing down the price of eggs, bread, heat, housing and cars. These tariffs will do the opposite.”
On Friday in the Oval Office at the White House President Trump took almost 25 minutes of questions and said tariffs are in store on chips, pharmaceuticals, medicine, steel, aluminum and copper as well as against the European Union.