After much speculation and sometimes conflicting information, President Trump reimplemented a 25% tariff on Canadian goods imported into the United States.
The president instituted the tariff under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, saying these tariffs are for the purpose of curtailing fentanyl from coming into the U.S. He has meanwhile made statements that the tax will boost domestic production. Canada has since announced their retaliatory tariffs on American goods imported into their country.
On Wednesday, Vermont Sen. Peter Welch joined Mikaela Lefrak on Vermont Edition to discuss his concerns about how the tariffs will impact Vermonters.
"We get a lot of our electricity from Canada, the Hydro-Qu茅bec contract, so we could see significantly higher electric bills for every Vermonter, and that is a tough expense for folks trying to balance their budget, their checkbook, at the end of the month," Welch said.
"The New England region, particularly northern New England, could get about a 25 to 40 cent increase per gallon in the cost of gasoline," he said, adding, "home heating fuel, a lot of that comes from Canada. So on really very essential bills 鈥� transportation, electricity, home heating 鈥� there's going to be an immediate impact that goes right to the family budget. Very tough."
Vermont Commerce Secretary Lindsay Kurrle shares the Senator's concerns about the impact the tariffs will have on Vermonters and the state's economy, saying, "If we do have a loss in discretionary income because people are absorbing that to pay for their energy increases or other things that they can't control, I do very much worry about job losses or cuts that will lead to job losses. So right now, in the short term, it's not, is not a great outlook."
Montreal Gazette reporter Jacob Serebrin says the uncertainty of trade negotiations is upending industry in Quebec.
"For decades now there's been this North American economy that's been built, these North American supply chains where goods cross the border multiple times as they take advantage of cheap electricity in Quebec, and certain skilled labor in certain parts of the U.S." Serebrin said.
"Everyone's built their businesses around this trade, this interchange and the benefits that that's brought everyone. And now all of a sudden there's some questions around that. And that's very difficult."
Beyond the economics is a sense of tension that these tariffs, and some of Trump's rhetoric towards Canada, have engendered.
"Right now," Serebrin said, "what we're seeing really across the country, even here in Quebec, which is normally not a place where you see the Canadian maple leaf flag flying all over the place 鈥� people like our blue and white fleur-de-lis flag here a bit more most of the time 鈥� but when I walk around my neighborhood, I'm seeing Canadian flags flying on homes all of a sudden. People have taken real offense at this 51st state talk."
Secretary Kurrle says she believes Quebec officials at least are aware that not everyone in the U.S. approves of Trump's policy.
"I do believe our relationships are very strong. The Consul General from Boston for Quebec came to Burlington last Friday and met with members of our team, as well as the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, they are very much wanting to work with us," Kurrle said. "They know that this is now not our decision. We do not want a trade war with Canada. Vermont does not want this trade war. The governor has been very clear about that."
Broadcast live on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.
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