Every year, companies from Pennsylvania sell hundreds of millions of dollars of motorcycles, machines, chocolate and coffee to companies and consumers in Canada.
Canadian companies, for their part, export $ 1.2 billion in steel and aluminum products annually to the state of Keystone, goods that are used in everything, from construction and construction to beer cans and consumer electronics.
Currently, in connection with the escalating global trade war, which rattled financial markets and sowed uncertainty in the entire economy, belong to the products that face novel taxes that charge trade between Pennsylvania and His greatest commercial partner.
»Read more: The South Philly product distributor ishamed because of the pain from Trump’s tariffs in Mexico
“Pennsylvania’s economy depends on international business and it looks like trade. It seems that our ability to attract direct foreign investment, encouraging international companies to open here and employ Pennsylvania to help our economy and create jobs, “said Lauren Swartz, general director of the NON -Profit Organization The Council of World Affairs in Philadelphia.
“Doing things that limit our ability to access this 96% of the world that lives outside the US, and 74% of global economic growth that occurs outside the US will be felt here at home,” said Swartz, former deputy director of trade in Philadelphia.
After President Donald Trump imposed 25% of fees on almost all goods from Canada and Mexico at the beginning of this month – then he stopped the tax on some import after he dived on the stock exchange – Trump raised the stake last week. He He hit 25% of tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum, including from Canada, which is the largest supplier of these goods after the USA
This resulted in retaliation from our northern neighbor, and the adjustment of 25% of fees occurs on Thursday on American goods worth $ 20.6 billion, including metals, computers, toolsand a number of other products. These taxes have appeared Earlier tariffs announced Canada On goods such as orange juice, coffee and motorcycles-like those made by Harley-Davidson, which has a plant in York, PA.-in response to Trump’s initial fees.
In 2024, Pennsylvania sent over $ 14 billion to Canada, with the best export, including machines, cocoa, plastics, pharmaceuticals, iron and steel.
Canada taxes from some exports in the USA affect Pennsylvania products, which last year merged $ 2.56 billion in sale, according to the analysis of Inquirer of Inquirer inquiry Trade data from the Canadian government.
Trump, a republican, gave various reasons for the novel economic attitude towards Canada, from stopping the flow of illegal drugs across the border to the revival of domestic production – all the time I am thinking about the annexation of the long -term American ally.
“It doesn’t make sense,” said Governor Josh Shapiro, a democrat at the beginning of this month, adding that “the effect will be higher prices for Pennsylvania.”
Some American steel and aluminum companies have Trump’s divorceSpeaking, foreign companies have long flooded the American market with low-cost products subsidized by their rule, which hinders competing.
Other business leaders were less confident. William Opelinger, general director of aluminum based in Pittsburgh Alcoa, said in February that the president’s tariffs about this goods It can cost 100,000 jobs in the USA.
Local companies strictly monitor messages from Washington to see how commercial policy is developing. According to Swartz, a helicopter manufacturer in northern Philadelphia, Leonardo allows most of its metal products from Quebec. Michael Cooper, a spokesman for an Italian company who employs about 1,000 employees at the Filadelphia assembly factory, said that “it is still too early to comment and evaluate these possible funds.”
Swartz said that the products that go there back between Pennsylvania and Canada are mainly “input data to do other things.” She said that the tariffs “would affect producers and workplaces”.
“And each of the input data that is tariff – perhaps many times, in something as complex as a vehicle that is produced or large equipment – must be paid by someone,” said Swartz.
She said that this would probably mean higher consumer prices.
