Michigan Governor Whitmer Urges Treasury to End Food Tariffs and Reimburse Families for Rising Grocery Costs
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on November 10 sent a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urging the federal government to eliminate food tariffs imposed in 2025 and 2026 and reimburse Michigan residents for the increased costs they have incurred, her office announced in Lansing.
Whitmer wrote that Michigan families are paying the highest tariff burden in the nation, with the costs showing up every time they check out at the grocery store. According to the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, Michigan households have faced an average tariff burden of $6,485 per household since January 2025, the highest in the country. Grocery prices rose 2.4% in 2025, with ground beef up 15% and coffee up 20%.
The letter also pointed to damage to the relationship with Canada, noting that Michigan's exports to Canada fell 12.3% last year. Whitmer asked the Treasury to end the new food tariffs levied in 2025 and 2026 and reimburse Michiganders for the increased cost of food.
Her office listed steps the state has already taken to lower costs, including free pre-K, free school meals, and more than $1 billion in tax relief for seniors and working families. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development found consumer food prices rose 3.1% from May 2025 to May 2026, including a 6.2% increase in meat, poultry and fish and a 6.1% increase in fruit and vegetables.
The letter is Whitmer's latest move on tariffs: she has twice directed state departments to report on tariff impacts, and in August Michigan joined other states in challenging the federal government's decision to impose additional tariffs on more than 80 countries.
(Source: Office of the Governor of Michigan)
Source: Office of the Governor of Michigan
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于 Lansing 的密歇根州议会大厦。CC BY-SA 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Michigan State Capitol in Lansing. CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
