Governor Ferguson statement on tariffs
- Marla Beaver
- Apr 10
- 1 min read
OLYMPIA – Governor Bob Ferguson offered the following statement on the imposition of significant new tariffs:
“The arbitrary tariffs imposed this week by the federal government are a direct threat to affordability and prosperity for families, communities, and businesses across Washington state.
“The evidence of the economic hardship this will create for our country and our state – among the most trade-dependent in the nation – is plain to see, whether by stock markets in free fall, a “high risk” of recession as a result of tariffs, rising prices for consumers, and new layoffs in the auto industry.
“Our businesses, communities, and trading partners tell me this senseless trade war is making it very challenging to hire or plan for the future. It is making our ports and product exports less competitive around the globe. And it is damaging relationships that have been decades in the making.
“As I said in my press conference, my administration is committed to planning responsibly for these reckless federal policies, and we will work with our businesses and trading partners to navigate this storm.
“The best thing we can do is to call off this trade war. I’m glad the U.S. Senate voted in favor of ending President Trump’s disastrous tariffs on Canada, and I thank Senators Murray and Cantwell for their votes on this important first step.
It’s time for the president to step back from the brink of economic turmoil, and for the Congress to reassert its authority over trade policy.”
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As a U.S. business owner who manufactures overseas, I want to be clear: fast, sweeping tariffs won’t bring manufacturing back—they’re making it harder. When tariffs hit overnight, margins disappeared, along with the capital needed to move production onshore. Reshoring takes time, money, infrastructure, and access to raw materials—none of which appear magically.
Meanwhile, Chinese factories—already deeply embedded in the U.S. market—they use Amazon sales data to identify and copy top-selling products, then sell them directly to American consumers. This undercuts and often destroys the U.S.-based businesses that originally invented and distributed those products. To make matters worse, Amazon deposits the proceeds directly into Chinese bank accounts, funneling revenue out of the U.S. economy.
Tariffs were sold as a tool to…