As Tariff Chaos Continues, Governors Across America Take Action to Protect Families, Small Businesses, and Key Industries from Price Hikes and Supply Chain Disruptions
July 14, 2025
Today, a group of governors from across America, including, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, and Washington Governor Bob Ferguson, announced actions aiming to understand and mitigate the harm caused by President Trump’s tariffs in their states.
Actions include:
- Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs responded alongside business leaders to President Trump leaving the Tomato Suspension Agreement, hiking tariff taxes on Mexican tomatoes by 17% and threatening 50,000 jobs in Arizona and Texas.
- Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed an executive order to combat President Trump’s harmful and reckless tariff policy that is increasing costs and rising uncertainty for families and many key Colorado Industries like aerospace manufacturing, agriculture, and health care. The Executive Order directs the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) to create the Colorado Tariff Burden Reduction Task Force to help Colorado agencies to develop strategies to reduce the impacts of US Tariff Policy and combat tariff uncertainty across different sectors of Colorado’s economy.
- Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed an executive order that directed state agencies to evaluate the scale and impact of how Trump’s tariffs will affect key economic sectors, including food, public health, infrastructure, and emergency preparedness supplies.
- New York Governor Kathy Hochul directed State agencies to produce a statewide economic impact report that assesses the impact of Trump’s tariffs on New York consumers, small businesses farmers, construction, tourism and other sectors of the state’s economy. Governor Hochul also recently launched a tariff resource guide to help New Yorkers navigate the chaos caused by Trump’s tariffs and provide resources on programs available to mitigate the impacts of tariffs.
- Oregon Governor Tina Kotek issued a directive to state agencies to provide an analysis within 90 days that provides a comprehensive picture of how tariffs are and will continue to impact the state and launched a survey with Business Oregon to get additional information about impacts to businesses.
- Washington Governor Bob Ferguson led a coalition of 24 public and private partners to file an amicus brief supporting a multistate lawsuit to block the Trump Administration’s illegal tariffs. Ferguson and the partners argued that the illegal tariffs are causing significant harm in Washington state — one of the most trade-dependent states in the country. He held a press conference with dock workers, truckers, Port of Seattle leaders and others to talk about the impacts of the administration’s chaotic policies. His Commerce Department also published a Tariff Information and Resource Guide.
“Donald Trump’s reckless trade war is raising prices, threatening our economic growth and killing jobs,” said Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs. “With his latest senseless decision to leave the Tomato Suspension Agreement, he is threatening to kill over 50,000 jobs between Arizona and Texas and forcing Arizonans to pay more at the grocery store, all to benefit Florida farmers. Arizona businesses and families will pay the price for this tax hike that is the latest step in the administration’s reckless trade war.”
"Governors know these senseless tariffs are causing costs to go up on everything from groceries to clothes and making business investment more and more uncertain,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis. “Together, we are taking action to help reduce the impact of the President’s tariff madness on states, businesses and economies.”
“Donald Trump’s reckless trade policies are nothing more than a tax on working families that will jack up prices, threaten jobs, and impact the way we live,” said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. “This Executive Order ensures we have a clear-eyed view of the impact the Trump Slump will cause from higher prices at the grocery store to uncertainty in our farms and factories. We’re working with other states to stand up for working people and protect our economies when we can.”
Tariffs also drive down consumer sentiment and fuel economic uncertainty. Trump’s on-again-off-again tariff policies have generated confusion and uncertainty for businesses and families: a recent Yahoo Finance/Marist poll found that more than 8 in 10 Americans surveyed are concerned about the impact of President Trump's tariffs on their personal finances.
“Trump’s tariffs are already inflicting pain and uncertainty on New York families and businesses – and that same economic chaos is being felt by millions more nationwide,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul. “That’s why we’re taking action to closely monitor and report on the impacts of these disastrous tariffs – and it’s why I’ll never stop fighting to put more money back in the pockets of everyday New Yorkers.”
Tariffs drive up prices on everyday items like groceries and clothing, making it harder for working families to pay the bills and put food on the table. According to the Yale Budget Lab, these tariffs will increase households’ costs by more than $4,000 per year.
“I don’t like surprises, especially when it comes to Oregonians’ pocketbooks for things like groceries, school supplies, or even medications. We need a full picture of where we anticipate the pain points are for Oregon’s economy," said Oregon Governor Tina Kotek. "People should be able to get what they need from the store at prices they can afford. And businesses need predictable conditions to succeed. When I heard from businesses earlier this year, there was anxiety, uncertainty, and an information vacuum from the federal government. While the Trump Administration has failed to fill in the gaps, there are actions we can do right here in Oregon to be better prepared. That’s why I am exercising my authority to direct relevant state agencies to analyze everything from supply chain impact in the agricultural sector to employment trends across industries.”
“Washington is one of the most trade-dependent states in the nation,” said Washington Governor Bob Ferguson. “Washington is already shouldering economic burdens from the Trump Administration’s chaotic policy. Traffic at our ports is down. Our agricultural industry — a cornerstone of Washington’s economy — has seen a steep drop in shipments. Costs for business are increasing while our global market is shrinking. I will do everything in my power to help Washington businesses and workers navigate these destructive tariffs. The president must end his senseless trade war. Our economy hangs in the balance.”
Meanwhile, while tourism is on the rise everywhere else across the globe, tariffs are eroding the U.S.’s standing in the world and the U.S. is projected to lose $29 billion in tourism, which negatively affects jobs in hospitality, retail, travel, and more. In addition, tariffs hurt small businesses by raising the cost of materials, goods, and services and can trigger supply chain disruptions that can be disastrous, especially for small businesses operating on narrow margins.
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