Depending on who you ask, tariffs deployed by President Donald Trump are either a response to unfair trade from neighboring countries or a tax increase on working families.
Monday, Trump said the tariffs that went into effect Tuesday morning were meant to address the ongoing fentanyl crisis and the deadly drugs that are still flowing across the southern and northern U.S. border, but to also spur investment in the U.S.
“Tariffs, 25% on Canada and 25% on Mexico. And that’ll start. So they’re going to have to have a tariff,” Trump said. “So what they have to do is build their car plants, frankly and other things, in the United States, in which case they have no tariffs.”
Illinois state Rep. Sharon Chung told her colleagues on the House floor Tuesday the tariffs will hurt working families, and business owners like breweries across the state
“Industry analysts are saying Trump’s order will raise aluminum prices by up to $2 billion every year,” Chung said. “And of course, I’m not the only one in here whose local economy is improved by a local craft brewer.”
Chung also poked at Republicans in the Illinois House minority party.
“Our friends on the other side of the aisle will tell us about how everything from school curricula to workers rights are actually secret tax increases,” she said. “But when working families are paying the very real cost for your political agenda, the silence is deafening.”
State Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Murrayville, responded.
“It was very rich to hear someone from the other side talking about the opposition to new taxes,” he said. “And I just want to say that for anybody on that side that agrees with that, I would like to welcome you to come to this side to oppose any new taxes in the state of Illinois.”
To put things into perspective, Davidsmeyer then listed the tariffs on U.S. goods Canada imposes, which ranged from 25% to almost 300%, depending on the product. He sees Trump’s actions as a way to level the playing field.
“Who is starting this trade problem? It is not America,” he said. “We’re looking for fair trade, and I think there’s opportunity for us to work towards no tariffs if countries are willing to work with us.”
Trump said to expect a reciprocal tariff policy in early April.
