Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) is urging Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other Trump administration officials to scrap new tariffs and compensate Michigan residents for rising grocery costs. In a letter to Bessent, Whitmer argued that federal trade policy has placed an outsized burden on her state.
“The unpredictable federal tariff policy has left Michiganders with the highest tariff burden in the nation,” Whitmer wrote. She called on the federal government to eliminate tariffs on food imposed in 2025 and 2026 and to reimburse residents for the resulting expenses.
Whitmer pointed to a National Taxpayers Union Foundation study showing that Michigan households have absorbed a tariff burden of $6,485 per household since January 2025—the highest in the country. She also cited a Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development report that linked tariffs to a 3 percent increase in state food prices last year.
Michigan’s economy is deeply intertwined with Canada, making it especially vulnerable to the ongoing trade war. The state imports more than $43.5 billion in goods annually from Canada and exports $21.2 billion worth of goods north of the border, including $726 million in engines and turbines, $559 million in crude petroleum, and $346 million in aircraft and parts. Many of these products now face tit-for-tat tariffs ranging from 25 to 50 percent.
Whitmer said the decline in trade with Canada “is signaling severe strain with our strongest trading partner.” She added that the tariffs and abrupt policy shifts “have weakened Michigan’s competitiveness and disrupted long-standing trade relationships.”
The governor has been vocal in her opposition to the administration’s trade approach. “In my interactions with the federal government, including with President Trump, I have been fighting for a smarter, strategic trade policy, and I will keep at it,” she said. “But without tangible relief from the federal government, Michigan families will continue to bear the costs.”
It remains unclear how much money Whitmer is seeking in reimbursements. The Treasury Department did not respond to a request for comment.
President Trump has suggested the Canadian trade war will conclude “pretty soon,” though he has not set a timeline. He has also threatened to raise tariffs on Canadian automobiles and related parts on New Year’s Day.
Whitmer’s push comes as Democrats nationally intensify pressure on the administration over economic policies. Recently, Democrats pushed drugmakers to release Trump-era pricing pacts, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer accused the president of “dereliction of duty” over the Nvidia CEO’s alleged spy ties. Meanwhile, the administration has moved to release $10 billion in rural health funds as Democrats eye a broader agenda.
As the trade war drags on, Michigan families and businesses are bracing for continued economic strain. Whitmer’s demand for reimbursements signals that Democratic governors are prepared to hold the administration accountable for the local costs of its trade policies.
