CHICAGO (WLS) — Concerns about the impact of President Donald Trump’s potential tariffs on major trading partners is putting many businesses on edge. President Trump on Friday modified the tariffs on China after previously pausing tariffs on Mexico and Canada.
Some local officials and business owners in Illinois are still worried.
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Just the talk of tariffs can lead to spikes in prices if suppliers get a little nervous about the market. With Canada and Mexico doing a of business in Illinois, the potential impact here could be significant.
At Hop Butcher For the World on Chicago’s North Side, their focus is making craft beer. But for Co-owner Jeremiah Zimmer, the threat of U.S. tariffs on other countries has become an unwelcome distraction from his passion for brewing.
“Aluminum and barley. Those are the two things that we use a ton of those are the two things that come to mind when I think of, you know, imports from Canada, Mexico and China,” Zimmer said.
Restaurant owners are voicing concerns of their own if tariffs, particularly on Mexico, are imposed in the next month as President Trump has threatened. That is because of how it might impact the price of fresh produce.
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“Produce isn’t always available in the domestic United States, because we have to buy produce seasonally,” Fifty/50 Restaurant Group Owner Scott Weiner said. “When tariffs impact our food prices, we’ll unfortunately have to pass on those prices.”
Senator Dick Durbin and others raised concerns Friday, noting that Illinois is the top state when it comes to imports from Canada.
“My message to the Trump administration is, when it comes to our economy, imports and exports from Canada and Mexico are critical to jobs in the United States and consumers having affordable goods that the can by in the store,” Durbin said.
Governor JB Pritzker had a warning at a manufacturing event Friday.
“It’s bad for Illinois, it’s bad for the country, detrimental for a company like Freedman Seating,” Pritzker said.
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Illinois House Republican Leader Tony McCombie said she’s hearing mixed feedback from farmers in her northwest Illinois district. She said people should not overreact to the possibility of tariffs.
“I say let’s just not panic,” McCombie said. “Let’s just let some of his ideas cook a little bit, and let’s see what happens.”
No one seems quite sure if President Trump will follow through and impose all the promised tariffs, or whether he is just using the thread of them to negotiate with other countries, something we still happen with Mexico, which is now better securing its border with the US
“What I hope, is that some, you know, something is worked out right?” Zimmer said. “Cooler heads prevail. Some sit down and decide, ‘Hey, these are really important trading partners.’ It’s worth taking the time to figure this out, so that there’s a mutually agreeable outcome.”
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