NH's delegation urges Trump to call off Canada tariff threat
The all-Democratic congressional delegation from New Hampshire urged President Donald Trump to abandon his 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, warning it would lead to a “cruel” price spike for New Hampshire homeowners that purchase heating oil from north of the border.
Canada is New Hampshire’s number one trading partner and heating oil the number one import, wrote U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan along with Reps. Maggie Goodlander and Chris Pappas, in their letter to Trump on the eve of his tariff announcement.
“For the more than 350,000 households in New Hampshire who rely on heating oil, propane and wood to keep their homes warm and comfortable, adding these costs would be particularly cruel in the middle of a winter that has seen recent temperatures reach 20 below zero,” the delegation said.
The National Energy and Fuel Institute estimates the tariffs could increase heating costs by at least $375 for a New Hampshire household and the costs could jump to $625 in the coldest regions such as the North Country.
NEFI officials said that estimate was based on the original, 25% tariff; a separate carve out of a 10% tariff on oil from Canada was negotiated prior to Trump's final announcement.
Goodlander said during a radio interview Friday that small business owners in Berlin told her they were especially concerned about the impact that tariffs could have on many goods they buy from Canada.
Shaheen said Trump’s plan runs against his campaign pledge to relieve the burden higher inflation has had for working class families.
‘Shameful’
“It’s not up for debate: the sweeping tariffs the President plans to put on our neighbors and closest trading partners will raise the price of everything from groceries and cars to housing and gas,” Shaheen said in a statement.
“It’s shameful that this action will force hardworking Americans — not foreign nations — to foot the bill. The President promised to lower the costs of everything but instead he is actively raising prices on families already struggling to make ends meet.”
The delegation noted this will cause grocery prices to rise since the U.S. imports 38% of its fresh vegetables, 60% of its fruit and more than 99% of the coffee we drink.
“This is the last thing families need when they’re already struggling with record high prices for eggs or coffee,” the delegation added.
“We also know that American small businesses would be hurt by these taxes.”
Trump has called the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA) one of the worst ever for the U.S. economy, but the delegation said it supported an 18% increase in exports to Canada and 21% increase in exports to Mexico.
“Taxing all imports from our neighbors would undermine USMCA and weaken America’s credibility in negotiating future trade agreements,” the delegation added.