Colorado: Governor Polis Takes Executive Action to Combat President Trump's Reckless Tariff Policy

Trending...
DENVER - Today, Governor Polis issued an Executive Order in partnership with the Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) and state agencies to combat President Trump's harmful and reckless tariff policy that is causing uncertainty for many key Colorado Industries. Today, governors across America, including Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, 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.

"We are taking action, standing up to protect jobs and keep Colorado's economy thriving. Tariffs do not work, and we will continue to prove that what Americans and Coloradans need most is certainty and stability, not whiplash tariffs driving up the cost of groceries and goods," said Governor Polis.

"The work OEDIT undertakes through this Executive Order will identify new strategies to help reduce the impacts of worldwide tariffs on Colorado businesses and our key industries. We are committed to empowering the State and our partners to collectively respond to and navigate changing federal policies and protect Colorado's thriving economy," said Eve Lieberman, Executive Director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT).

More on Colorado Desk
Gov. 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.

"In response to the harm caused by increased costs for Colorado consumers and manufacturers stemming from U.S. Tariff Policy, I am directing relevant State agencies to take action to mitigate such harms. The State should make all efforts to collect and analyze data related to U.S. Tariff Policy and the harms imposed on Colorado consumers and manufacturers to inform recommendations for how to protect Coloradans and our economy in this volatile time," the Governor's Executive Order states.

Governor Polis has been and continues to be outspoken on the devastating impacts Trump's Tariff tax will have on key US industries like agriculture, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, and car manufacturing. Ultimately, President Trump is sowing uncertainty to businesses across Colorado, and passing down his reckless tax to the Colorado consumer.

More on Colorado Desk
Illinois Governor Pritzker also signed an executive order that directed Illinois state agencies to evaluate the scale and impact of how Trump's tariffs will affect key economic sectors in their state which includes food, public health, infrastructure, and emergency preparedness supplies

Mexico and Canada are Colorado's largest trading partners. Colorado exported $1.7 billion in goods to Mexico in 2024, representing 17 percent of the state's total goods exports, followed by Canada ($1.6 billion). Trump's tariffs threaten the livelihoods of Coloradans, the cost of groceries, small businesses, and tourism. In 2023, Mexico was the number one market in terms of visitation, with 221,275 visitors, and Canada was number two, with 176,612 visitors. The economic impact of these visitors on Colorado is almost $250 million.

Moreover, Colorado's aerospace industry and the thousands of jobs the industry supports could be impacted by tariffs. Today, Colorado is first in the nation for the concentration of aerospace jobs, and second nationally for total aerospace employment, with more than 55,000 employees at over 2,000 Colorado aerospace companies.

Colorado in 2024 exported $500 million in aerospace, spacecraft, and related parts, accounting for roughly 4.8% of all Colorado exports. The European Union, Brazil, France, Canada and Mexico were the top five export destinations, accounting for 63% of Colorado's aerospace exports. In 2024, Colorado imported $1 billion of aerospace, spacecraft and related parts, accounting for roughly 6.2% of all Colorado imports. Switzerland, the EU, Germany, Canada, and France were the top five import sources, accounting for over 90% of Colorado's aerospace imports.

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.

Filed Under: Government, State
Show All News | Report Violation

0 Comments

Latest on Colorado Desk