Arizona Manufacturers: Biggs' Tariffs Are a Tax on Us

Arizona's manufacturing sector is sounding the alarm on Andy Biggs' Washington tariffs, and the message is clear: these are taxes, and they're hitting Arizonans' wallets.

Arizona's Chamber Business News reported on the inflation and instability driven by Canada's retaliatory tariffs, a trade war Biggs has fully backed, with prices up as much as 50 percent on hundreds of products, including steel, aluminum, wood pulp, plywood, and manufactured lumber.

Grace Appelbe, Executive Director of the Arizona Manufacturers Council, put it plainly: “Tariffs are import taxes, and manufacturers pay them when they source key inputs from abroad, putting additional pressure on costs that can ultimately be passed along to consumers.” Her warning echoes Arizona business leaders across the board — Todd Sanders of the Greater Phoenix Chamber said “these are taxes,” Danny Seiden of the Arizona Chamber warned costs are “transferred down to the consumer,” and U of A's Ed Ackerley said the tariffs will have a “damaging effect on the economy here in Arizona.”

Despite this, Biggs voted to protect and expand Washington tariffs, calling them "a brilliant economic strategy." As Arizonans face rising costs at the checkout counter, Biggs has falsely claimed there is "no inflation," insisted the tariffs are "not inflationary," and argued Washington has "tamed inflation" and "brought everything back down."

Copper State Victory spokesperson Nicholas Simões Machado said: 

“Arizona's own manufacturers are calling Andy Biggs' tariffs what they are: taxes. But he keeps voting to protect them anyway, making life more expensive for families and costlier for businesses across the state.”

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