Business owners, exporters and farmers tell lawmakers trade wars and tariffs are having direct impact
Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. I’m Tom Ambrose and will be bringing you the latest news over the next few hours.
We start with news that Republicans are growing concerned that president Donald Trump’s tariffs are hurting the US economy, with constituents telling them they are struggling financially.
Business owners, exporters and farmers have told lawmakers that Trump’s expanding trade war and threat of steep tariffs against Canada, Mexico and Europe are having a direct impact on business in the US, The Hill reports.
“The Canadian tariffs will definitely have a detrimental impact on the economy of Maine and on border communities in particular,” said senator Susan Collins. “We have for example a major paper mill in northern Maine right on the border that gets its pulp from Canada.”
“That mill alone, which is by far the biggest employer in the region, employs 510 people directly. I’ve talked to the owner of that mill, the imposition of a 25% tariff could be devastating,” she added.
“I have every major industry in Kentucky lobbying me against them; the cargo shippers, the farmers, the bourbon manufacturers, the home-builders, the home sellers – you name it – fence manufacturers,” senator Rand Paul told The Hill.
“The bourbon industry says they’re still hurt from the retaliatory tariffs” during Trump’s first term, he said. “So do the farmers.”
