In Michigan, Trump’s trade war with Canada rankles both Democrats and Republicans — SkimNews
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- Michigan—home to 10 million people—does US$67 billion in annual trade with Canada and has taken a US$23 billion hit from Trump’s tariffs since the start of last year, equal to US$5,619 per resident; autos are most affected because parts cross the border repeatedly.
- Joseph Tarver has had his hours cut at a Detroit auto assembly plant since Trump began trade wars with Canada and other countries; Tarver said the levies, combined with the Iran war, made fuel and food more expensive while his paycheque did not rise.
- Mike Rogers called for an end to the “tariff war” in a television spot, sipping Labatt Blue while saying Canada was not Michigan’s enemy; Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed used a parody game show, The Price Is Wrong, to highlight price increases after another round of Canadian tariffs last month.
- Trump said at a Port Huron rally that the trade war would be “settled” shortly, even as secret Ottawa-Washington talks focused on auto levies ramped up ahead of the Nov. 3 vote, according to three industry sources.
- Gordie Howe International Bridge opened between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit in July after a Trump administration delay, a tangible reflection of the integrated cross-border economy the tariffs are disrupting.
- Barack Obama at a Detroit rally for El-Sayed cited the tariffs as evidence of Trump’s foreign-policy ineptude, joking that Canada was the “well-known evil empire” that had supplied Martin Short and maple syrup.
- Denise Weaver and Weston support Trump on border enforcement and abortion but said they could not understand why Canada was targeted; she called the country a good neighbour, while he said he had not seen proof the U.S. had been cheated.
Why it matters: Michigan’s auto sector accounts for the largest exposure to a US$23-billion state tariff hit, and workers such as Joseph Tarver are already seeing reduced hours plus higher fuel and food costs. With Nov. 3 approaching and secret talks centered on auto levies, tariff policy has become a direct test of whether voters support congressional checks on Trump.
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