Breweries and maple syrup producer among Vermont businesses hit by
Trump's tariffs on Canada
[March 19, 2025] By
AMANDA SWINHART and HOLLY RAMER
NEWPORT, Vt. (AP) — Business owners from both sides of the U.S.-Canada
border gathered Tuesday in Vermont to share how the Trump
administration's sweeping tariffs have affected their industries.
President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum and
repeated comments that Canada should become the 51st state have
infuriated Canadians, and many are boycotting American goods in
response.
“What’s going on in Canada is without precedent. The threat is over and
above tariffs right now,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, a Canadian member of
parliament representing Compton-Stanstead. “And I’m even a bit a bit
emotional when I say that because it’s a threat against our
sovereignty.”
The 18 participants in the roundtable discussion included breweries, a
maple syrup producer, a furniture company, an electrical company and a
ski resort.
Donna Young of Judd's Wayeeses Farms in Morgan said most of the
equipment she uses to produce maple products comes from Canada.
“All the tariffs and the changing political atmosphere, it’s just made
it extremely disruptive,” she said. "The weather is always a big stress
factor when you’re sugaring. We don’t need this extra stress on top of
it.”
Bob Montgomery, of Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro, said the tariff
on the aluminum used to make beer cans will ultimately drive up the cost
of beer.
“That 25% increase on the tariff will simply just get passed along to
us,” he said.
Sen. Peter Welch, a Vermont Democrat, said he is disturbed by Trump’s
actions, which he said have affected what has long been a stable and
valuable relationship.
[to top of second column] |
U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont, left, and
Marie-Claude Bibeau, a Canadian member of parliament representing
Compton-Stanstead, talk at a roundtable event about the Trump
administration's tariffs with U.S. and Canadian business owners,
Tuesday, March 18, 2025 in Newport, Vt. (AP Photo/Amanda Swinhart)
 ”There’s no place for this,” said
Welch, who hosted the meeting. “We are neighbors. We’re allies.
We’re friends. And I want to keep it that way.”
Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6
billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross
the border each day. In Vermont, trade with Canada accounted for
more than a third of the state's exports and two-thirds of its
imports last year. According to Welch, one in four of the state's
businesses rely on trade with Canada, and they cannot afford to
absorb a 25% hike on imports.
“Everybody knows, except apparently President Trump, that the people
who pay the tariffs are the people who buy the products,” Welch said
in a Senate floor speech last week.“This is really, really stupid.
This is going to hurt Vermont.”
Bibeau urged the American participants to pressure Trump to reverse
course.
“This is not the right thing to do, not for your economy and not for
ours either,” she said. "And I think we have to keep working
together and to make the demonstration that it’s harming our two
countries and our people.”
___
Ramer reported from Concord, New Hampshire.
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