(The Center Square) – The Trump Administration’s plan to impose tariffs on other countries has been a hotly debated subject, and now Illinois officials are joining the discussion.
Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs joined democratic state treasurers from around the country to denounce the Trump Administrations tariffs.
“We’re going to see higher prices on a wide range of products, vegetables, meat, cellphones, cars, gasoline as well,” said Frerichs. “All of it is a Trump tax on American workers. If you’re already struggling, this will add to your financial burden.”
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick recently acknowledged to NBC that foreign goods may get a little more expensive, but American goods are going to get cheaper.
Trump said high tariffs and low interest rates can pay down the federal debt while boosting domestic manufacturers and enticing foreign producers to move to the U.S.
“We’re going to take in hundreds of millions of dollars in tariffs, and we’re going to become so rich you’re not going to know where to spend all that money,” said Trump on Air Force One on Sunday.
Trump imposed new 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada last week, but then exempted many of those goods just two days later.
Frerichs said Trump is playing the role of Lucy, yanking away the football and leaving Charlie Brown on his back.
“This is not a way to run a business and certainly not a way to run a country,” said Frerichs. “Constantly moving the goalposts on tariffs creates uncertainty and instability.”
Trump has accused China, Mexico and Canada of not doing enough to end the flow of illegal drugs and migrants into the U.S. The three countries have rejected the accusations.
The Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) is calling on Trump to honor the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and to find other methods to combat illegal drugs and secure our border.
“We remain deeply concerned with the use of tariffs and their potential to spark retaliation on America’s farmers. Illinois farmers’ products, from grains and feed, corn, soybeans, ethanol, beef, pork, and more, rely on access to foreign markets and will undoubtedly be impacted by these new tariffs either through increased prices or decreased market access,” said IFB President Brian Duncan in a statement.
Illinois is the third largest exporter of agricultural commodities in the U.S. Total exports from Illinois in 2023 were estimated at $81 billion, of which $13.7 billion was attributed to agriculture.
