This letter went out to my HR rep and both Senators:
March 12, 2025
Dear Representative Huizenga,
I’m outraged by President Trump’s tariffs. Tariffs are not taxes on foreign countries. They are taxes on the American consumer. They are raising the prices of food, gas, and other essentials at a time when most Americans can’t afford it. These tariffs will disrupt supply chains, raise costs for businesses, and put hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk. The stock market is already tumbling, hurting the retirement funds of millions. Trump himself admitted these tariffs will hurt us. His claims that the tariffs will be good in the long run are unfounded. History does not bear that out. He’s simply lying yet again to the American people.
Please speak out against these tariffs and take action to stop them before more damage is done.
Sincerely,
Rev. Kenneth Arthur
The following response was received from Rep. Huizenga on March 19, 2025:
Dear Mr. Arthur,
Thank you for contacting me regarding U.S. trade policy and tariffs. I always appreciate hearing from constituents and welcome this opportunity to respond.
As you know, President Trump has put forward various increased or new tariffs on U.S. trade partners. For example, President Trump put forth 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada to hold these nations accountable to their promises to address illegal immigration and the fentanyl crisis. Much like the President’s successful renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), both nations came to the table and had achieved temporary pauses on these tariffs to work to implement security reforms. Various exemptions from the tariffs have been made, including for many goods covered under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Regarding imports from China, President Trump has enacted a 10% additional tariff. In these actions, the President has rightly pointed to security concerns, a lack of cooperation, and America’s trade deficit — which exceeded $1 Trillion in 2024. And as of today, any proposed tariff on European goods is meant to simply match EU Tariffs on US goods.
Given the fast-changing tariff environment, I am constantly communicating with constituents, small businesses, and larger employers regarding President Trump’s trade policies and any impact they may have on residents of Southwest Michigan. Fair and reciprocal trade has the potential to grow our economy by reducing our trade and fiscal deficit as well as finally putting American workers and exports on a level playing field. Your input is invaluable as I remain engaged on current and future developments with my colleagues in Congress and the White House to see that our trade policy is putting America and Southwest Michigan’s manufacturers, farmers, workers, and consumers first.
Again, I appreciate you contacting me, and please do not hesitate to do so in the future. To stay up to date with the latest news on our work in Congress, you may sign up at huizenga.house.gov/forms/emailsignup to receive my e-newsletter.
Sincerely,
Bill Huizenga
Member of Congress
Response received from Senator Slotkin on October 3, 2025:
Dear Mr. Arthur,
Thank you for reaching out to my office about U.S. trade policy. I apologize for the delayed response to your message. As your new Senator as of January 2025, I appreciate hearing from you.
Like you, I recognize that President Trump’s chaotic approach to American trade policy has created instability and uncertainty in industries across Michigan. I’ve heard from many groups – farmers, small business owners, manufacturers – that an on-again, off-again, approach to tariffs is sloppy and chaotic, has created major issues for long-term planning, and has even caused some to lay off staff, pause investments, and push costs they can’t afford on to the consumer.
Let’s review the bidding on what has happened since the beginning of President Trump’s term. To start, in February, the President implemented a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico – which he then walked back to exclude goods that are compliant under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Next, a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum products, and imported cars and car parts. In April, he announced a 10% baseline tariff on all U.S. imports and additional higher tariffs for targeted countries like China, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, the EU, and more. Just days later, he reversed course and paused the reciprocal tariffs for 90 days. Shortly after these announcements were made, we saw U.S. markets fall, and countries take retaliatory action.
This yo-yo trade policy is unsustainable for Michigan families and businesses. Canada, which is the number one export market for Michigan farmers, placed 25% tariffs on U.S. goods after the February announcement. Then China, along with other countries, implemented retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, such as agricultural products and fuel, some as high as 125%. These actions have brought about uncertainty and anxiety for our farms, small businesses, and working families.
Since pausing many of these tariffs, the President has set up what amounts to a marketplace for trade deals with the potential for rampant corruption and no transparency. Countries around the world, rich donors, and politically connected firms across the U.S. are coming directly to the White House seeking a deal for relief. Our small and midsize suppliers and manufacturers who are hurting the most don’t have the ability to walk into the White House and strike a deal.
I believe America needs a 21st century trade policy that strengthens the Middle Class, expands American industry and jobs, provides certainty to American businesses and farmers, and uses our economic levers of power against our adversaries like China – not allies like Canada.
In March, I organized a panel with the Detroit Regional Chamber and the Consul General of Canada and at Wayne State University to discuss the economic relationship between Michigan and Canada. My staff and I have met with dozens of farmers, small businesses, and manufacturers in the state to discuss the ongoing tariff uncertainty and it’s clear that a trade war with our allies is hitting Michiganders in their pocketbooks.
To push back on the administration, my colleagues and I also sent a letter to President Trump that calls for a worker-first approach to trade policy. The letter details an agenda that will revise our trade relationship with China, review and revise the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA), strengthen trade enforcement mechanisms, and call for the reauthorization of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) to provide support for workers who lost their jobs due to short-sighted trade policies. In my fiscal year 2026 appropriations priorities, I’ve requested the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the International Trade Administration turbocharge their trade enforcement, as equipment and auto manufacturers in Michigan are unable to compete with companies that source parts and materials from trade cheats like China.
More importantly, I am also a co-sponsor of S.691, Leveling the Playing Field 2.0, which updates U.S. trade enforcement laws to stop countries from harming our domestic industries. I also joined my colleagues in sending a letter to USTR Ambassador Greer on the impacts of across-the-board short- and long-term tariffs on our farmers. Some of our Michigan farmers permanently lost overseas markets for crops like soybeans to countries like Brazil during the 2018 trade war, and I know many are concerned about a similar situation happening today. Farmers and business owners want clarity about the impact tariffs will have on their jobs, wallets, and livelihoods.
In June, I laid out my Economic War Plan, where I call for an aggressive 10-year plan that prevents foreign nations from having a veto over America’s economic security. Things like our military hardware, our food, pharmaceuticals, and items like microchips that millions of Americans depend on. We must ensure these critical products are made at home, and we should use a combination of targeted tariffs, incentives, and a shared plan where we tag-team with our partners and allies, like Canada.
While we continue to navigate the uncertainty of tariffs, please know that I’m doing everything I can to push the administration to craft strategic, deliberate, and durable trade policy, that sustains good paying jobs, secures our supply chains, and re-establishes the U.S. as a leader in world manufacturing.
Once again, sincere thanks for reaching out. I believe that engaging your elected officials is a critical component of our democracy and allows us to better represent you, so thank you for taking the time to get in touch.
Last thing: if you want to keep up with my work for Michigan in the U.S. Senate, you can visit my website at https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/services/newsletter/ and sign up for my newsletter, which is the single best way to stay in touch. You can also find regular updates on social media by following me on Facebook, X, Threads, Bluesky, YouTube, or Instagram. Please do not hesitate to contact me for this or any other matter of concern to you.
Sincerely,
Elissa Slotkin
U.S. Senator for Michigan