DiPentima: Trump's Trade War Hurts NH People, Economy, Businesses

By Rich DiPentima, InDepth NH

While Mr. Trump continues to destroy our relations with our neighbor Canada by imposing 50% tariffs on a number of consumer goods, including construction materials, and manufacturing components that will raise prices here at a time when inflation is already high, our Governor Ayotte remains silent.

Canada is New Hampshire’s largest trading partner. We export between $800 million to $1.4 billion worth of New Hampshire products annually to Canada. Canada also supplies New Hampshire with a number of major products including 70% of our natural gas and 50% of our gasoline. As a result, Canada will impose tariffs on goods coming to New Hampshire dollar for dollar raising the costs of these important products, while prices for goods shipped to Canada from New Hampshire will cost more there and reduce sales. And beyond that, the New Hampshire tourism industry has greatly suffered because of Trump’s actions. Canadians are declining to vacation in New Hampshire because of their anger toward Trump’s trade policies and rhetoric. We have experienced nearly a 30% decline in Canadian tourism costing the New Hampshire economy millions of dollars.

The net effect of Trump’s ridiculous trade war with Canada will have a severe negative impact on New Hampshire’s people, economy and our businesses. Unfortunately, our Governor has done nothing to convince Mr. Trump that his trade policies will severely harm our state. Apparently, Gov. Ayotte is too timid to confront Mr. Trump fearing political backlash and retribution from him, thereby, putting her own political safety above the economic security of our state. While Gov. Ayotte remains silent, the right-wing Editorial Board of the Wall Street Journal wrote that Trump’s tariff war on Canada was: “the dumbest trade war in history” and that it “makes no economic or political sense.” We need a Governor who puts New Hampshire’s people and economy first even if it means taking political risks by opposing Mr. Trump who she supported for president in 2024.

Rich DiPentima

Portsmouth, NH

This story was originally published by InDepth NH.