Tariffs Will Wreck the Interconnected Great Lakes Economy

To the Editor,

Today’s trade war and tariff threats may sound good on the campaign trail, but sweeping tariffs will hurt American business and consumers.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the U.S. and Canada have more than $870 billion in bilateral trade each year. Our region, the Great Lakes, isn’t two separate economies; it’s one interconnected economy. The 2023 Great Lakes Marine Shipping Economic Impact Study (Martin Associates) found that shipments through Great Lakes ports generate over $50B in economic impact and support more than 350,000 jobs.

Punitive tariffs will destroy this economic engine. Just look at the auto industry in Detroit that depends on Canadian primary aluminum shipped through the Great Lakes. Tariffs on imports will make it harder for automakers to build cars and trucks while punishing American consumers. When companies face higher costs due to tariffs, those costs get passed on to working families. Electronics, appliances and the cars in our driveways are becoming more expensive because of tariffs.

Tariffs do not protect our economy, but rather hurt America’s businesses and consumers, and put jobs in our border states and around the Great Lakes at risk. The middle class does not thrive on an island, but rather through free and fair trade. It’s time for President Trump and our elected officials to act like business leaders and make decisions based on what’s best for the taxpayers and consumers that put them in office and negotiate in good faith with our trade partners.

William W Scriber