Florida is about to get a surgical strike from Canada, China, the European Union and Mexico in retaliation for the Trump Admirations trade tariffs. Florida’s orange and tomato growers are about to take a big hit as former export partners look elsewhere like Cuba, Mexico, Spain, and Israel to replace Florida OJ.
There is no doubt that citrus farmers in Florida and California are in no position to absorb trade hits, having seen their crops destroyed by blight and Hurricane Irma.
Canada has made it clear they still consider the United States a friend and respect the people of the country. But the move was made because of tariffs put forth by the Trump Administration. Canada is also saying that the tariffs are a violation of NAFTA as well as WTO guidelines.
According to 2016 statistical data from Canada’s Department of Agriculture Florida sells over half a billion dollars-worth fruit, vegetables, coffee and even plants to our neighbors to the north.
To put that number into jobs over 620,000 Florida’s work is in some way related to producing something sold to Canada. It is way too soon to predict the long-term impact there will be some pain felt by the Sunshine State from the tariffs.
Meanwhile, in battleground state, President Donald Trump won by a close margin they are about to feel what a trade war really feels like. The tariffs are meant to target swing states, along with states home to prominent members of Congress.
According to reports this morning from the Canadian Broadcasting Company there is a very clear plan on how Canada is going combat the tariffs the United States enacted on them.
“This list was clearly drawn strategically to exert maximum pain politically for the president,” said Maryscott Greenwood of the Canadian American Business Council.
“The idea is, you look at a map of the congressional districts of the United States, you look at which members of Congress are in leadership positions and then you look at the big industries in those districts and then you draw up your list accordingly,” she said. “And this list was clearly drawn up with this in mind.”
In Wisconsin, it will affect everything from Yogurt to lawn tractors. Pennsylvania they will take a bit hit on the multi-billion dollar candy market as U.S. chocolate have been identified as a tariff target by the Canadian government. The Hershey chocolate company is located in Lancaster Pennsylvania. On the other side of the state in Pittsburgh, the Heinz Company will see tariffs placed on their ketchup, which again is a worldwide brand.
In Michigan and Ohio, the auto industry is bracing for a big hit as the tariffs will drive the price of new cars up. Lastly, in Kentucky where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) is from there will be a tariff on bourbon.
THE VIDEO COMES FROM CNBC – FIRST IN BUSINESS NEWS.