Looking ahead to the next round of Democratic primaries, tariffs remain a significant problem that threaten business owners, farmers, and communities throughout America and in key states such as Florida, Ohio, and Arizona.
Data from Tariffs Hurt the Heartland shows that to date, taxpayers in Florida, Ohio, and Arizona have paid a combined $3.6 billion in additional tariffs since the trade war with China began. Beyond this, trade supports over 3.8 million jobs in these three states, and 264,500 jobs could be lost if businesses don’t receive the relief they need from the trade war.
This is exactly why Democratic presidential candidates need to show Floridians, Ohioans, and Arizonans that they are laser-focused on helping these states recover from the damage brought by tariffs and lay out a plan to finally bring the trade war to an end.
Americans are the ones paying for tariffs – not China. As the Miami Herald reported, Elliott Barnett’s company Dewitt Tool was faced with the upsetting reality of deciding to raise prices due to the ongoing trade dispute with China.
“The future is simple: We will have to raise our prices,” Barnett said. “It’ll be passed on in the cost to build the bridge, to build the tunnel.”
Unfortunately, as businesses continue to feel pressure from the trade war with China, those tariffs translate into higher prices for us all. Gary Yacoubian, who owns the Youngstown-based speaker company SVS Sound, described to Axios late last year what continued tariffs could mean for Ohio businesses and consumers in the year ahead:
“If the tariffs remain, I’m going to have to start making moves … Meaning: the consumer will pay, and I’ll pay, and then employees will pay, if we don’t grow according to plan.”
Industries across the spectrum are hurting because of tariffs. Speaking to KTAR last year, Arizona Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Glenn Hamer discussed how every industry in the state shoulders the burden:
“This will affect every sector of our economy, whether it’s mining, semiconductors. Agriculture always gets the brunt … It’s very, very important that the two leading economies in the world figure out a way to get to a good deal. End of story.”
While the Phase One Deal has provided some relief, much more work remains. That’s why it’s important that presidential candidates lay out a plan to remove all tariffs that have hurt Floridians, Ohioans, Arizonans, and Americans nationwide.
If you are interested in speaking with someone about the trade war and how it is hurting residents ahead of the primaries, please contact press@americansforfreetrade.com.
Americans for Free Trade