Standing at the Ward Apparatus manufacturing facility in Chemung County, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer delivered a pointed warning: The Trump administration’s ongoing tariff war is slamming small businesses, driving up costs for essential goods, and putting thousands of Upstate New York jobs at risk.
With aluminum tariffs hitting emergency vehicle manufacturers like Ward Apparatus especially hard, Schumer called the economic fallout “a Main Street crisis” and urged Congress to take immediate bipartisan action to end what he called a “reckless and chaotic” trade war.
“Chemung County and the Southern Tier are on the frontlines of the destructive Trump tariff war,” Schumer said. “Let’s be clear: these tariffs are a tax increase on Upstate NY. They’re hitting families, small businesses, and even fire departments and first responders who rely on affordable, high-quality equipment.”
At Ward Apparatus, where aluminum accounts for a large share of production materials, tariffs are expected to raise the cost of emergency response vehicles by as much as $30,000 to $40,000. That increase falls on municipalities and fire departments—public institutions that Schumer says should not have to compromise on safety due to trade policy.
Scott Beecher, CEO of Ward Apparatus, said the tariff instability is making it nearly impossible to plan production. “These costs will have to be passed on to the end users,” Beecher said. “The more predictability and stability we can have, the better we can supply our incredible firefighters with the trucks and equipment we manufacture.”
The pain is widespread. Rimco Plastics in Chemung County is struggling to source PVC materials due to halted supplier orders. Swift Glass, another long-standing local business, faces an imminent 8% hike on imported glass essential for defense, medical, and tech sectors. “There is no U.S. equivalent,” said Swift Glass VP Charlie Burke. “That tariff increase will be passed on to customers.”
According to Schumer, more than 17,000 Southern Tier residents—and 5,100 in Chemung, Steuben, and Schuyler counties—work in industries directly affected by the tariffs, not counting secondary impacts in tourism and retail. A survey from the Main Street Alliance found that over 80% of small businesses would raise prices, and nearly a third would lay off staff if tariffs remain in place.
“When the Senate returns, I will force a vote to end this reckless trade war,” Schumer pledged. He pointed to a bipartisan Senate resolution to repeal tariffs on Canadian imports, urging the House to act and stressing the urgency of stopping new proposed taxes on a wide array of imported goods.
“I’ve always supported cracking down on unfair trade—but these sweeping, ill-conceived tariffs are backfiring,” Schumer said. “They’re not targeting China. They’re targeting us.”
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