Trump Tariffs Spark Concern Over Wisconsin Economy

Economic development leaders in Wisconsin are worried about the Trump administration's latest round of tariffs on Canada, which could make it harder to do business with the state's biggest trading partner.

The new 50 percent tariffs on certain products from Canada, ranging from wine and dairy products to hockey sticks and cement, are set to take effect on Aug. 19. The White House says they're in response to discriminatory trade practices.

Last year, Wisconsin had a trade surplus with Canada, exporting roughly $8.5 billion worth of goods while importing $6.3 billion. Canada was the largest buyer of Wisconsin goods and ranked as the state's second biggest source of imported goods.

Tyler Byrnes, a senior research associate at the Wisconsin Policy Forum, said that if access to this market is disrupted, it could have serious consequences for Wisconsin's economy, particularly in industries like heavy machinery and electrical machinery.