Governors from several Democratic-led states — including Colorado, Illinois, New York, Oregon, and Washington — are pushing back against the economic fallout of President Trump’s steep tariffs, unveiling state-level efforts aimed at shielding residents and businesses from rising costs and trade instability.
Colorado’s Rapid Response Strategy
Colorado Governor Jared Polis issued a sweeping executive order Monday, directing state agencies to assess and combat the damaging effects of Trump’s trade policies. Specifically:
-
The Office of State Planning and Budgeting has 45 days to produce a detailed report estimating the tariff burden on Colorado, with a focus on vulnerable industries and regions — particularly housing construction.
-
The Departments of Agriculture, Labor and Employment, and the Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) must draft response strategies to adapt current services to mitigate tariff-related disruptions.
-
OEDIT is also tasked with launching a Colorado Tariff Burden Reduction Task Force, which will guide cross-sector efforts to minimize uncertainty and economic harm caused by tariffs.
Polis’ office stressed that the impact has been broad and costly: higher prices on construction materials, healthcare supplies, fuel, food, electrical components, and other essential manufacturing goods. Infrastructure projects — including schools and roads — are also seeing budget pressures from inflated costs.
Colorado’s key trading partners, Mexico and Canada, account for over $3.3 billion in exports, with beef products leading the list. New tariffs — including a 30% hike on goods from Mexico and EU nations, and tariffs up to 145% on other partners — are destabilizing these relationships and threatening critical industries.
Other States Taking Action
-
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker also signed an executive order instructing agencies to study the impact of tariffs on sectors like public health, food security, infrastructure, and emergency preparedness.
-
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson led a coalition of 24 public and private partners in filing an amicus brief against Trump’s tariffs in federal court. The multistate lawsuit includes 12 states, among them Colorado.
Economic Toll Grows
According to Yale Budget Lab, tariffs are expected to increase annual household costs by over $4,000. The U.S. is also projected to lose $29 billion in tourism revenue, with hospitality, retail, and travel jobs among the hardest hit. Small businesses, in particular, face supply chain disruptions and increased material costs, which threaten their viability.
“Governors know these senseless tariffs are causing costs to go up on everything from groceries to clothes,” said Polis. “Together, we are taking action to help reduce the impact of the President’s tariff madness on states, businesses, and economies.”
With the trade war escalating, these governors hope state-level resilience efforts can ease the economic pain while federal battles continue in court and Congress.
This article has been carefully fact-checked by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and eliminate any misleading information. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in our content.
Leave a Reply