U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on the 1st (local time) imposing tariffs of 25% on Canada and Mexico and 10% on China, prompting concerns from labor unions and corporations within the United States. Industry representatives noted that this could also impact American businesses and consumers, urging a reconsideration of the tariffs.
The United Steelworkers (USW) issued a statement that said, "USW has long demanded systematic reform of the broken trade system, but targeting major allies like Canada is not the way forward." USW represents 850,000 workers.
They claimed, "Products worth about $1.3 trillion cross the Canada-U.S. border each year, supporting 1.4 million U.S. jobs and 2.3 million Canadian jobs," adding that "these tariffs threaten the industrial stability on both sides of the border, not only damaging Canada."
They further said, "Our union urges President Trump to change the policy on tariffs against Canada and focus on trade solutions that will help worker families in the long run."
Organizations representing various U.S. industries also called for the repeal of tariffs. Reuters reported that the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) stated, "We hope to swiftly find solutions with our North American neighbors to exclude crude oil, refined products, and petrochemical products from the tariff list before consumers feel the impacts."
John Bozzella, president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, said, "Smooth automotive trade in North America accounts for $300 billion in economic value, supporting not only our global competitiveness but also automotive industry jobs, vehicle choices, and consumer buying power in the United States."
Tom Madrecki, vice president of the Consumer Brands Association (CBA), an organization in the food industry, expressed concern, stating, "Tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada, particularly on ingredients and inputs not available in the United States, could raise consumer prices and lead to retaliation against U.S. exporters."
He said, "Consumer goods companies rely on certain imports due to unique growing conditions and other limiting factors around the globe," urging Mexico and Canadian leaders to work with President Trump to protect consumer access to affordable products and to eliminate tariffs that could trigger food inflation.