LETTER TO THE EDITOR: President Trump’s tariffs hurting states
Published 2:09 pm Thursday, November 1, 2018
President Trump is trying to correct a trade imbalance by imposing tariffs on products imported from China. China has retaliated by imposing tariffs on our exports to China.
Trump’s tariffs will cost automaker Ford $1 billion in 2018 and 2019 and require significant layoffs. Exports from the BMW plant in Greer, SC are down 35% in August 2018 versus August 2017. Honda USA is incurring hundreds of millions of dollars in unplanned costs because of Trump’s steel tariffs.
States incurring substantial revenue losses include:
• Louisiana a $5.7 billion loss, with China its top export market
• Washington $5.2 billion, with China its top export market
• California $4 billion, with China its third largest export market
• Illinois $2.1 billion, with China its third largest export market
South Carolina $2.6 billion, with China its top export market
• Alabama $2.4 billion, with China its second largest export market
• Texas $1.4 billion, with China its third largest export market
• Kentucky $917 million, with China its fourth largest export market
• Michigan $842 million, with China its third largest export market
• Ohio $826 million, with China its third largest export market
Many states are suffering economic problems with declining exports and job losses because of Trump’s tariffs.
Donald Moskowitz
Londonderry, NH