If you have not already felt the effects of Donald Trump’s presidency, you will now, and your wallets will not be pleased. We all heard the promise of tariffs that Trump made during his campaign for the presidency. He is now fulfilling that promise.
When Trump first announced tariffs, I think the whole world was shocked. How can a country that depends heavily on its neighboring countries now slap them with tariffs of 20 percent or more on exported goods? His reasoning behind this: Stopping citizens from crossing over illegally and punishing them for not stopping the flow of fentanyl. If you have the ability to think critically about this reasoning, there really is no valid argument.
Not one state is an exception to receiving these tariffs. The New England region includes three out of the six states that share a border with Canada. So the question remains: how will this affect our region?
New England relies heavily on the imports of Canada. The U.S. Census calculated that about $27 billion worth of goods were transported in 2024. There are four major imports that we receive from Canada: Lumber, seafood, airplane parts and fuel oil. Massachusetts has the highest reliability on imports, with over $10.6 billion imported in 2024.
Fuel oil, such as gasoline and diesel, will only see a 10% tariff but nevertheless, that will still be passed down to consumers like you and me.
Other goods like seafood will also be taxed and Maine’s lobster industry could be negatively affected since it has a closely connected supply chain with Canada. Being a lobsterman is already not a very lucrative job. It’s usually a profession that has been in the family and passed down.
A spokesperson for the Maine Lobstermen Association told New Hampshire Public Radio, “Maine lobstermen are concerned tariffs will not only drive down the price they are paid, but also result in reduced sales, jeopardizing jobs and livelihoods in our coastal communities.”
This just proves that there is really no thought behind his actions, and if there is any, it’s powered by greed and the hunt for power. He is doing what he falsely criticized Biden for, increasing the cost of living.
When Trump announced tariffs during his campaign for presidency, I think there was a large misconception among his supporters on who would really pay that tax. While Trump said that the countries would pay for it, others disagreed.
The nonpartisan Tax Foundation found that with tariffs imposed it would cost an American household around $1,072 a year. While that may not seem like a whole lot over the course of a year, we have to take into account funding cuts make the cost of living even higher, such as cutting funding to multiple programs that would make housing easier. This includes loan guarantees that make mortgage rates lower. Trump also wants to gut the Home Rebate Program that was introduced in Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. Stripping this would mean that there would be no incentive for households to invest in energy-efficient appliances.
All of this is to say that Trump slapping tariffs on imported goods does nothing but hurt the American people and the people only. There is no reality where the companies don’t put the extra cost onto the consumer.
Alice Whittemore can be contacted at
awhittemore@kscequinox.com
