U.S. Business Lobby Maps Out States Hardest Hit by Trump Tariffs

(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce parsed out the economic impact of tariffs by state, doubling down in its opposition to a central tool of the Trump administration's trade policy.

“Tariffs are beginning to take a toll on American businesses, workers, farmers, and consumers as overseas markets close to American-made products and prices increase here at home,” U.S. Chamber President Thomas Donohue said in a statement. “The administration is threatening to undermine the economic progress it worked so hard to achieve.”

The chamber represents more than 3 million businesses and is one of Washington's top lobbyist spenders. The interactive graphic the chamber released on Monday uses U.S. Department of Commerce data to predict the effects on specific sectors, exports and jobs.

Since March, President Donald Trump has announced levies on steel and aluminum imports as well as separate U.S. duties on $34 billion of Chinese goods that are set to go into effect on Friday. The tariffs have initiated global pushback, with Canada, Mexico, the European Union and China responding with tariffs of their own on billions of dollars' worth of American goods.

States with large automobile production facilities, such as Michigan and South Carolina, are among the most exposed to the tariffs, according to the chamber's analysis. Other states, like Alabama and Pennsylvania, will face agricultural pressures in addition to concerns over steel and aluminum products.

There's also a political dimension -- tariffs could hit hardest some of the states that supported Trump for president in 2016, including Michigan and Pennsylvania.

To contact the reporter on this story: Reade Pickert in Washington at epickert@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Murray at brmurray@bloomberg.net, Sarah McGregor, Alister Bull

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