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Dear Fellow Vermonter,
I have long fought for trade policies that benefit American workers. And while targeted tariffs can be a powerful tool to stop corporations from outsourcing American jobs, Trump’s reckless, unilateral and most likely illegal move to impose a new fifty percent tariff on some $20 billion worth of Canadian goods is bad for Vermonters. How bad?
In 2025, Vermont imported almost $386 million in goods from Canada that are now subject to Trumps’ new tariffs. If these tariffs had gone into effect in 2025, Vermont businesses would have paid over $193 million more for those goods.
Canada has responded and imposed counter tariffs on an array of U.S. products worth around $20 billion. If these tariffs had been in effect in 2025, the cost of newly tariffed Vermont goods going into Canada would have increased by some $123 million. Will Canadians now look to buy less expensive products from somewhere else? Probably.
These are big numbers. But they represent hundreds of small and large businesses across Vermont that are working to continue operations and maintain staff.
Cliff Allard, the founder of Allard Lumber in Brattleboro, said, “the tariff thing has raised havoc.” According to Cliff, forty percent of his family business is based upon longstanding partnerships in Canada. They are facing as much as a 283 percent increase in the cost of components and it has been impossible to plan because of the constant changes in policy. “If you know what the rules are you can make it work, [but] if there are no rules you can’t plan anything.”
Carina Hamel, the co-founder of the Richmond-based water bottle company Bivo, said that the Trump tariffs have resulted in a lot of wasted effort, stress and uncertainty. Carina said their Canadian counterparts just don’t want to take on American brands because of Trump’s outrageous comments. “They may love our bottles but have made the decision not to sell products from the states.”
With 50 years in the sugaring business, Jim Judd of Judd’s Wayeeses Farms in Morgan echoed the frustrations of Cliff and Carina. With some 90 percent of his equipment coming from Canada, Jim said, “up until these absurd tariffs we had no real problems. We are an itty-bitty industry compared to Canada and we are reliant on Canadian manufacturers — all we will see is an increase in costs.”
This is about more than the flow of goods. In addition to fears about longstanding business partnerships breaking down, tourism from Canada to Vermont has plummeted. Jay Peak has seen a thirty-five percent decline in Canadian winter passes. Canadian intent to travel to the U.S. has declined sharply and Vermont’s Department of Tourism estimates a loss of $75 million in direct spending from Canadian visitors in 2025.
Vermont’s relationship with Canada has always been about more than just economics. Canadians are our allies, our neighbors, our friends and — in a lot of cases — family. I will continue to fight for a coherent trade policy that puts working people first and benefits communities on both sides of the border.
I would very much appreciate hearing how Trump’s trade war has affected you or your business. Click HERE to share your thoughts. Moreover, the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development has created a tariff resource page for Vermont businesses, which you can find HERE.
Sincerely,
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