Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) is pressing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other Trump administration officials to end new tariffs and issue grocery reimbursements for Michigan residents being hit with rising prices.
“The unpredictable federal tariff policy has left Michiganders with the highest tariff burden in the nation,” Whitmer wrote in a letter to Bessent. “Today, I am writing to ask the federal government to end the new tariffs on food levied in 2025 and 2026, and reimburse Michiganders for the costs they have incurred as a result of those tariffs.”
She cited a study done by the National Taxpayers Union Foundation that reported Michigan households held a tariff burden of $6,485 per household since January 2025 – the highest in the country.
Whitmer referenced another report from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development that noted tariffs contributed to a 3 percent increase in Michigan food prices last year.
The Wolverine State is among the top states estimated to be hit hard by President Trump’s ongoing trade war with Canada. Michigan is largely dependent on Canada for trade – importing more than $43.5 billion in goods per year from the country. The state also exports $21.2 billion worth of goods to Canada every year, including $726 million in engines and turbines, $559 million in crude petroleum, and $346 million in aircraft and parts.
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Many of these goods are affected by current Canadian and U.S. tit-for-tat tariffs ranging from 25 to 50 percent.
Whitmer stated she believed declining trade with Canada was “signaling severe strain with our strongest trading partner.”
“These tariffs and sudden policy reversals have weakened Michigan’s competitiveness and disrupted long-standing trade relationships,” she continued.
“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,” Whitmer concluded. “But without tangible relief from the federal government, Michigan families will continue to bear the costs.”
It is unclear how much in reimbursements Whitmer is requesting.
Trump has signaled the Canadian trade war will end “pretty soon” but has not given a definitive timeline. He has also threatened to increase tariffs on Canadian automobiles and related parts on New Year’s Day.
