FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 24, 2025
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ICYMI: Tariffs Hit Michigan’s Economy From All Sides, Driving Up Prices, Shuttering Businesses, and Squeezing Small Retailers
From clocks to clothes to fresh produce, tariffs are hurting businesses and consumers alike.
Tariffs are dealing blow after blow to Michigan’s economy. Small businesses are grappling with price hikes, planning chaos, and are even forced to close their doors. With Michigan ranked third in the nation for tariff impact so far this year, families and job creators are caught in the crossfire of an escalating trade war.
Axios | Tariffs hit Michigan businesses hard
From January through May 2025, Michigan businesses were hit with $3.3 billion in tariff costs, the third-highest of any state, behind only California and Texas.
Michigan’s manufacturing and import-reliant industries are being affected. From auto parts to electronics, Michigan’s economic backbone is bearing the cost of these trade policies.
Patch | 9 Products That Could Get More Expensive In MI Due To European Tariffs
A 30% tariff on EU imports is set to take effect August 1, threatening price hikes across Michigan on wine, cheese, electronics, cars, apparel, and pharmaceuticals.
The Budget Lab at Yale estimates prices on items like shoes could rise 44% and apparel costs will see a 40% increase in the short term.
WKFR | Tomato prices to skyrocket in Michigan due to tariffs
Trump’s withdrawal from a long-standing tomato trade agreement with Mexico is expected to increase prices by 10 to 15 cents per pound across Michigan.
Roughly 80–90% of America’s tomatoes come from Mexico, and they now face a 20.9% tariff, leaving restaurants and grocers scrambling.
NBC News | Time runs out for nearly century-old Michigan clock company due to tariffs, other factors
After 99 years in business, Zeeland-based Howard Miller Co. is shutting down. The iconic clock and furniture maker cited tariffs as a key factor in its closure.
“Our hopes for a market recovery early in the year were quickly dashed as tariffs rattled the supply chain,” said CEO Howard J. “Buzz” Miller.
The closure will also affect businesses like Hekman Furniture Co. and puts roughly 200 Michigan and North Carolina jobs at risk.
Michigan Advance | Detroit boutique owner details impacts of tariffs as deadline for deals passes without ceremony
“I’m really proud to carry both U.S.-made, Canadian-made clothing, as well as imported, but even those producers have really been rattled by these tariffs, and it’s affecting them, which then affects me,” said Rachel Lutz, owner of the Peacock Room in Detroit, Michigan.
“As a small business, we are competing against big, big players that, ahead of the tariffs going into effect, were able to ship massive amounts of inventory, warehouse them to buffer their impact from these tariffs. Small businesses like mine don’t have that capability.” Said Lutz.
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Tariffs Cost US is a new campaign dedicated to providing the public with reliable, comprehensive information about global trade and tariffs, and their impact on both businesses and consumers.
