WASHINGTON — As Canada waits for President Donald Trump to follow through on imposing hefty tariffs on goods in February, Vermonters are bracing for the impact on their state’s economy.
Democratic Senator Peter Welch heard these concerns firsthand during a roundtable with his constituents on Monday in St. Albans, Vermont. His open dialogue included local business owners, farmers and state lawmakers who explained the impact that the 25% tariff threatened by Trump could have on their communities.
“One [concern they expressed] is that the tariffs are extraordinarily disruptive, and will threaten jobs and their profit margins. Number two, they say that whatever the tariff is, the only way they’ll be paid is by the consumer, so it’s going to increase prices,” Welch told the Globe in an interview. “It’ll increase our electric rates in Vermont and increase the cost of the products that these manufacturers are making.”
Welch said tariffs could disrupt markets and worried about their impact on the cost of electricity and agriculture in Vermont.
“We get much of our power from Hydro-Québec, so if there’s a 25% tariff, that could add 25% to your electric bill overnight,” Welch said.
He added that the manufacturing industry could take a hit on products such as the Concept2 rowing machine which is manufactured in Morrisville, as well as the equipment for maple syrup evaporators.
Vermont imports roughly $2.6 billion annuallyfrom Canada, its largest foreign trading partner, according to Connect2Canada. Energy, agriculture, equipment and machinery are the largest industries.
“There’s real-world consequences that are immediate that will affect jobs, companies and people in Vermont,” Welch said. “You could find that similar group of people in any state in the country, whether they voted for Trump or Harris, and they would say the same thing.”
“There’s a shared goal with Trump in that we all want a strong economy,” Welch continued. “Trump believes that the use of these tariffs will make us stronger, but what I heard today is they’ll make us weaker.”
Trump reiterated his threat to reporters on Friday, saying there was “nothing” Canada, Mexico or China, which Trump said will also have tariffs imposed, can do to head off the implementation.
Kendall Wright can be reached at kendall.wright@globe.com. Follow him on X @k_wright4.
