The U.S. Senate has passed a bipartisan resolution to terminate the national emergency President Donald Trump is using to justify sweeping tariffs on Canadian imports—a move Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says is essential to protect New Yorkers from soaring costs and job losses.
Calling the tariffs “a tax on Upstate New Yorkers,” Schumer warned the House of Representatives—especially Republican members from New York—to follow the Senate’s lead and end what he described as a destructive and economically harmful trade war.
“Trump’s tariffs on Canada will mean higher prices for middle-class families, essentially a tax increase on people and small businesses already struggling with high costs,” Schumer said. “This is no ‘liberation day’—it’s tax day for New Yorkers.”
The tariffs, which target a wide range of Canadian imports, could cost New York families more than $5,000 a year and drive up prices for gas, groceries, cars, and other essentials. Schumer estimates the total economic burden on the state could exceed $7 billion, with more than 150,000 jobs at risk in Upstate New York alone.
New York’s economic ties to Canada run deep. The Empire State imports more than $20 billion in goods from its northern neighbor and exports over $17 billion. Many of these imports support American manufacturing, with 70% going toward production of U.S.-made products. In the North Country, nearly 20% of the Plattsburgh workforce is tied to Canadian or border-related businesses.
The tariffs have also begun to squeeze New York’s tourism industry. Canadian travel to the U.S. has dropped 23% since last February, and the U.S. Travel Association warns a 10% drop in Canadian visitors could translate to $2.1 billion in lost spending and threaten 140,000 hospitality jobs nationwide—many in tourism-dependent Upstate regions.
Schumer further pointed to growing volatility in financial markets. “Trump’s tariff games are not only hurting wallets—they’re shaking retirements,” he said, noting a major sell-off on Wall Street and fears of a looming recession.
He urged House Speaker Mike Johnson to reconvene Congress and bring the Senate bill to a vote. “We will not stop fighting to end this reckless trade war and lower costs for the American people,” Schumer said.
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