Michigan Senate Candidate Mike Rogers Walks a Tightrope on Trump’s Canada Tariffs

Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, the Republican nominee for Michigan’s open Senate seat, has defended a portion of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods, calling them “necessary” for protecting the state’s manufacturing base.

Politico

After Trump announced 15-to-50 percent duties on Canadian imports, Canada retaliated with counter-tariffs on roughly $20 billion of U.S. goods. Michigan, which conducts about $80 billion in annual trade with Ontario, sits at the center of the dispute. The tariffs affect autos, dairy, paper and cement, all reliant on cross-border supply chains.

Politico

• Michigan-Ontario trade totals roughly $80 billion per year (Michigan Chamber of Commerce).

Common Dreams

• A Politico analysis estimates $1.3 billion in Michigan exports face Canada’s new counter-tariffs.

Politico

• The Midwest Economic Policy Institute calculated Michigan households are paying up to $3,200 in extra costs because of the tariffs, about 142 % more than the rest of the United States.

Common Dreams

• A June EPIC-MRA poll found 63 % of Michiganders— including 35 % of Republicans—oppose the Canadian tariffs.

Politico

• Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate candidate, accused Trump of launching the trade war “for his own vanity” and warned that Rogers would “rubber-stamp” the tariffs.

Politico

• United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain opposed the tariffs, citing strong Canadian labor standards and the risk of higher consumer prices.

Politico

• An auto-industry executive, speaking anonymously, called the threatened 50 percent tariff on Canadian auto parts “cataclysmic” for the sector.

Politico

• Poll data from EPIC-MRA shows a clear majority of voters view the tariffs negatively, suggesting political risk for candidates who support them.

Politico

• “Donald Trump is launching this trade war for his own vanity, and he’s asking Michigan families to pay the price,” — Abdul El-Sayed

Common Dreams

• “Canada is Michigan’s largest trading partner with about $70 billion in goods flowing across their borders in 2024, the latest available data,” — Rick Haglund

Common Dreams

Sources differ on impact. Politico quantifies $1.3 billion in export exposure, while the Midwest Economic Policy Institute estimates $3,200 in additional household costs—a per-household figure that cannot be directly reconciled with the export-value metric. Comprehensive state-wide cost modeling that integrates both export losses and consumer-price effects remains absent.

Common Dreams

Rogers is slated to speak at the midterm convention President Trump is hosting later this week in Dallas, a platform that could shape his messaging on the trade dispute as the Senate campaign enters its final stretch.

Politico