Detroit despairs as ‘insanity’ of Trump’s Canada trade war punishes city
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- Trump announced plans for 50% tariffs on Canadian goods effective January 1, covering everything from automobiles to hockey sticks, despite a June Epic-MRA poll showing Michigan residents oppose tariffs on Canadian goods by a 63%-31% margin.
- Michigan residents already pay on average over $3,200 annually for tariffs — 142% more than the rest of the country — because of the state's shared border with Canada, and nearly 75% of Michiganders said tariffs are fueling high prices.
- The Canadian government announced retaliatory tariffs on $20bn of goods starting January 1, and Michigan-based economist Patrick Anderson called the US tariff list — covering feathers, sweaters, girls' dresses, and lobster — an "annoyance list" rather than a trade war.
- The UAW, which has 350,000 members in Michigan, rejected the latest escalation while supporting some targeted tariffs, with President Shawn Fain saying tariffs should instead target countries where automakers offshore jobs for $3-an-hour wages.
- The Detroit Chamber of Commerce, typically pro-Trump, publicly opposed the escalation, warning that "global competitors like China benefited most" from the tensions and that the binational Detroit-Windsor region would bear disproportionate economic pain.
- The Michigan Senate race pits Democrat Abdul El-Sayed against Trump ally Mike Rogers on November 3 in a state that has picked the presidential winner in five consecutive elections; Rogers has supported tariffs but has so far been silent on the latest escalation.
- Trump and JD Vance escalated the rhetoric with an executive order renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America" and Vance calling Canada the 51st state, moves Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens called "offensive" given Canada is the US's largest trading partner and closest ally.
Why it matters: Michigan has picked the presidential winner in five consecutive elections, and Democrats' chances to retake the Senate rest on El-Sayed defeating Rogers in the November 3 race. Trump doubling down on tariffs that 75% of Michiganders say are driving high prices — and that cost Michigan households 142% more than other states — just two months before midterms hands Democrats a potent issue in a swing state where even the typically pro-Trump Detroit Chamber broke ranks.
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