Detroit despairs as ‘insanity’ of Trump’s Canada trade war punishes city — SkimNews
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- Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Canadian goods this week, escalating a trade spat in which $1bn in goods crosses the Detroit-Windsor border daily
- Michigan residents 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, according to economist Patrick Anderson
- Canada announced retaliatory tariffs on $20bn of goods starting September 8; Anderson dismissed Canada's target list of "feathers, sweaters, girls' dresses, lobster" as "an annoyance list," not a trade war
- A June Epic-MRA poll found Michiganders oppose Canadian tariffs 63%-31%, including 35% of Republicans, with nearly 75% saying tariffs fuel high prices
- The UAW, with 350,000 Michigan members, "rejects" the latest escalation despite backing some targeted tariffs; President Shawn Fain said tariffs should target countries that offshore jobs, not allies with strong unions
- Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is challenging Trump ally Mike Rogers in a race analysts say could help flip the Senate, with pollster Bernie Porn calling Trump's tariffs "an anchor around Rogers' neck"
- The typically pro-Trump Detroit Chamber of Commerce broke ranks, stating that "escalating tensions and tariffs will only cause economic pain on both sides of the border" while global competitors like China benefit
Why it matters: Michigan has picked the presidential winner in five consecutive elections, making it the ultimate swing state. Trump is doubling down on a policy Michiganders oppose 63%-31% just months before midterms, handing Democrats a live issue in a Senate race that could determine chamber control while an integrated auto supply chain—parts crossing the border six times before final assembly—faces $12.5bn in annual tariff costs.
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