Nova Dugan-Mezensky · February 11, 2025

Toolkit: The Danger of Trump’s Tariffs

UPDATE: President Donald Trump’s long-threatened tariffs against Canada and Mexico went into effect Tuesday (03.04.2025).

Updated 3.4.2025

Summary: Trump’s reckless tariff policies threaten Ohio workers, businesses, and consumers by driving up costs, killing jobs, and destabilizing the economy. This toolkit breaks down the real impact of his tariffs, including higher prices on everyday goods, harm to small businesses, and risks to key industries like manufacturing and agriculture.

This document contains messaging guidance, content, and key talking points to help you push back against misinformation and advocate for fair economic policies that put people first.

Guidance (Navigator)

Reinforce Americans’ top concern, and a belief Americans already hold: These tariffs will increase costs on everything we buy.

Forcefully reject the framing from supporters of tariffs that this is about creating leverage over other countries. If tariffs are framed as an increase in the price of everyday items, the public opposes it (-28). If the same policy is allowed to be described as a way to force other countries into better negotiation, the public can support (+40).

Don’t let them win on manufacturing. While Americans rightly believe tariffs will hurt jobs and businesses, they do believe it could help spur manufacturing—so we have to make clear that it won’t.

Messaging Examples

These tariffs will increase costs on everything we buy.
Donald Trump’s new tariffs are a hidden tax that will make everything more expensive for American families – from groceries and clothes to appliances and cars. Every time you check out at the store or shop online, you’ll be paying more. And what are Republicans doing while Trump jacks up our costs? Nothing. They’re too afraid of Trump to fight for us and get costs under control.
Donald Trump’s new tariffs are a hidden tax that will make everything more expensive for American families – from groceries and clothes to appliances and cars. Trump and the MAGA Republicans’ priorities are all wrong. Instead of lowering costs, they’re jacking up prices and letting Elon Musk cut our healthcare, all while trying to give the wealthy and big corporations more tax breaks. We’re already dealing with high prices – the last thing we need is MAGA Republicans and billionaires making everything worse.
American families are already struggling with high costs, and Trump’s tariffs will make it worse—raising prices on groceries, gas, clothes, and everyday essentials. Tariffs aren’t a strategy; they’re a tax on Americans. Instead of lowering costs, Trump is making life more expensive for all of us.
Trump wants you to believe tariffs punish other countries, but the truth is, American consumers and businesses pay the price. Every trip to the store, every gas fill-up, every online order—you’ll feel the cost of Trump’s tariffs.
Tariffs are just another tax on working people, driving up costs while Trump pretends it’s part of a plan. We’ve seen this before—his last trade war hurt farmers, businesses, and jobs. Now, he’s doubling down on failure, and American families will pay the price.
Instead of lowering costs like he promised, Trump is forcing working families and small businesses to pay more—while giving us nothing in return. We can’t afford another round of his failed policies.
This isn’t “America First”—it’s American workers, farmers, and small businesses losing out while Trump plays politics. We can’t afford his costly mistakes again.

Ohio Focus

Trump’s tariffs increase costs on everything we buy in Ohio.
Trump’s tariffs hurt Ohio’s manufacturing exports and our relationship with foreign trade partners. Unnecessary trade wars will increase our cost to sell and buy everyday goods.
Ohioans’ are already starting to feel the effects of Trump’s tariffs.
Trump wants you to believe his tariffs punish other countries, but the truth is, American consumers and businesses pay the price. Every trip to the store, every gas fill-up, every online order—you’ll feel the cost of Trump’s tariffs.
The alternative: instead of increasing costs for Ohio working families, Trump’s government should be focused on ensuring billionaires are paying their fair share.

Economic Burden of Trump’s Tariffs

What Do Tariffs Mean for Ohio?

Canada has already enacted their own 25% tariff on American goods, which is set to hurt Ohio the most. Ohio has benefited from a robust trade relationship with Canada and a tariff battle endangers our economy. University of Calgary Professor Trevor Trombe conducted an initial analysis of U.S. states that export to Canada. He concluded that Ohio is now set to lose $3B in the initial retaliation tariff.
Ohio exports $21.4 billion in goods to Canada annually, supporting thousands of local jobs. Key exports include motor vehicle parts ($2.0 billion), engines and turbines ($1.9 billion), and automobiles ($1.5 billion). Disruptions to this trade could have severe consequences for our economy and working families.
Read the full report here.

Current Tariff UPDATES

NEW: President Donald Trump said he will announce that the United States will impose 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, including from Canada and Mexico, as well as other import duties later in the week.
NEW: China’s retaliatory tariffs went into effect Feb. 10 and Ohio is set to be one of the most impacted states in the nation.
The tariffs planned by U.S. President Donald Trump have been paused for at least a month, after an agreement was reached with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. The pause does not include the tariffs against China, which are still set to be implemented on Tuesday.

Content

The Danger of Trump’s Tariffs (Content)