Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, has made several enemies in backing President Trump’s new tariffs on Mexico. Ducey says border states such as Arizona need to prioritize border security over commerce, but his opponents make the opposite argument, as tariffs on Mexico will harm the economies of southern border states the most.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, an initial 5% tariff would cost Arizona $452.1 million dollars per year. Trump has threatened to gradually raise this tariff as high as 25%, which would cost Arizona $2.26 billion.
Neil Bradley, Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, stated Trump’s tariffs are “exactly the wrong move” and that they will damage the economy “without doing a thing to solve the very real problems at the border.”
The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry is opposing Trump’s tariff plan as well. President Glenn Hamer issued a public statement on Twitter declaring, “Mexico is our friend and neighbor, a partner in trade and security. The president’s announcement is baffling and, if carried out, will be terribly damaging.”
All other governors at the southern border are also opposing the tariffs. While this anti-Trump opposition might be expected from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, both of whom are Democrats, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas is siding against Trump too. Abbott said, “I’ve previously stated my opposition to tariffs due to the harm it would inflict on the Texas economy, and I remain opposed today. Nevertheless, the president is trying to address this emergency. Now, Congress must do its job and start passing laws to fix our broken immigration system.”
Martha McSally, Arizona’s Republican senator, issued a similar statement Friday. “While I support the president’s intention of stopping illegal immigration, I do not support these types of tariffs, which will harm our economy and be passed onto Arizona small businesses and families,” she said.
Despite facing opposition from several angles, Ducey remains committed to supporting the president’s plan to increase border security.
“The U.S. Chamber is going to prioritize commerce, that’s why they’re called the Chamber of Commerce,” Ducey said smugly while addressing the local press. “The Arizona governor is going to prioritize public safety. You can do both.”
Ducey also supported President Trump’s February declaration of an emergency at the border, which is allowing him to repurpose military construction funds to pay for his border wall. Ducey won reelection by more than 14 points in a landslide victory. But the same voters narrowly elected a Democratic senator, Kyrsten Sinema, for the first time in three decades, and Trump’s polling in the state is rather weak.
