Oregon State Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner called on the Trump administration to permanently roll-back his proposals for new tariffs, in response to the administration’s on-again, off-again announcements. Treasurer Steiner joined other state treasurers at a national news conference earlier in the day.

Among her remarks, Treasurer Steiner stated:

"The administration’s tariff price hikes are likely to prove unaffordable for Oregonians. Compounding the financial stress these tariffs impose on households and businesses is the confusion and uncertainty the administration’s on-again, off-again announcements have created.

Government is supposed to be predictable and steady. Businesses and people depend on government to act rationally and reasonably. This administration is doing the opposite.

Economists have projected that the administration’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China – three of Oregon’s four top international export partners – are likely to cost each household approximately $1,200 a year.

For too many Oregonians, there is too much month left at the end of the money. A $1,200 expense that no one in Oregon asked for is a cost many Oregonians can’t absorb, especially families who are already struggling to save.

In Oregon, these new proposed tariffs are particularly worrisome because they threaten to further raise the cost of housing construction – making our housing shortage worse, threatening jobs in the construction industry and making it harder for more families to afford housing.

As Oregon’s state treasurer, I am deeply concerned that the administration’s actions will spur increased inflation, lead to cascading job cuts and create a long-term drag on our economy. 

How are families and businesses supposed to plan if draconian tariffs keep getting announced, then delayed, then reimposed and then delayed again?

I urge the administration to take these tariffs off the table for good.

Instead, I encourage the administration to work with states like Oregon to lower prices, protect jobs, and maintain the vital services that our wellbeing depends on."

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