STANDING WITH NORTH COUNTRY BUSINESSES BEING CRUSHED BY TRUMP’S TARIFF WAR, AS NEW YORKERS SEE COSTS SKYROCKET BY $4,200+ A YEAR, SCHUMER CALLS TO END TRADE WAR WITH CANADA AND DEMANDS NY HOUSE REPUBLICANS IMMEDIATELY TAKE UP BIPARTISAN SENATE BILL TO STOP RECKLESS TARIFFS AND RESTORE RELATIONS WITH NEIGHBORS TO THE NORTH

President Trump Admitted This Past Week Grocery Bills Are Surging Because Of His Tariff War, And Local North Country Businesses & Watertown Families Are On The Frontlines After Summer Tourism Plummeted And Costs Skyrocketed

Schumer Says It’s Time For NY House Republicans To Stand Up For NY Families & Take Up His Just-Passed Bipartisan Senate Bill To End Trump’s Canadian Trade War Once And For All & Return Tariff Powers Where They Belong: In Congress

Schumer: Trump’s Terrible Tariffs Are A Tax Increase On North Country Families & Small Businesses; This Must End

Days after Trump admitted his tariffs are spiking the cost of groceries, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer — flanked by North Country small businesses and families, on the frontlines of rising prices and plummeting tourism from Trump’s reckless trade war— demanded the House immediately take up his just-passed bipartisan Senate bill to end the trade war with Canada. Schumer said North Country families and small businesses are being hit harder than nearly anywhere else in the country by Trump’s tariff war, with costs skyrocketing for New York families by $4,200 each year and, after a brutal summer-tourism season of declining visits from Canada, that we must end this reckless tariff war and stop this tax hike on Upstate NY families.

“Trump’s tariffs are a tax hike on North Country families and small businesses, plain and simple. Small businesses from Watertown to Plattsburgh are seeing costs go up and vital tourism plummet from Canada because of Trump’s reckless trade policy. Families are paying more at the grocery store, over $4,000 more every year because of Trump’s price-spiking tariff temper tantrums,” said Senator Schumer. “The North Country is paying the price for this reckless trade war that is driving away our closest ally and key trading partner, our neighbor to the North, Canada. The madness must stop. The Senate just passed a bipartisan bill to end Trump’s trade war with Canada, and I am here today to call on NY House Republicans to immediately bring it to the floor to stop these tax hikes on North Country families. Enough is enough, Republicans know how unpopular these tariffs are with Americans. Every single one of these dollars from the tariffs comes out of the pockets of American taxpayers, of North Country small businesses and families. It is time to end this trade war once and for all.”

Last month, Trump halted trade negotiations with Canada and threatened to increase tariffs on Canada to 45% in response to a television ad. Schumer declared it is time to put an end to Trump’s trade war with Canada that is hurting Main Streets across America and raising costs for working families.

According to a recent report from New York State, as a result of tariffs, costs are expected to increase for the average New York family by $4,200 every year. Residential utility bills are expected to increase, while the cost of building a new single-family home is expected to increase by approximately $11,000. In addition, nearly 500,000 jobs in New York State have been exposed to negative impacts from tariffs, especially in manufacturing, construction, and healthcare sectors. Schumer said Trump knows his tariffs are making costs surge which is why Trump canceled tariffs on hundreds of food products, but more must be done because New York families can’t afford to pay thousands of dollars more every year because of Trump’s latest price-spiking tariff temper tantrum.

Schumer added, “Trump admitted his tariffs are raising grocery prices which is why he was forced to cancel his tariffs on hundreds of food products, but that’s not enough. We must undo all of these tariff taxes that are driving up cost of living for American families.”

Small businesses from Watertown to Sackets Harbor, Ogdensburg to Colton, and across the North Country are feeling the pain from Trump’s tariffs.

• 1812 Brewing Company in Watertown had its award winning, American-made craft beer ripped off Ontario shelves in response to tariffs on Canada, slashing 10-15% of the company’s total business overnight, decreasing the company’s sales by at least $100,000 so far this year, and undoing years of hard work and investment to break into the Canadian market. In addition, declining tourism and cross-border traffic from Canada has cut business by 5-10% at the company’s restaurants on the Black River and Lake Ontario – 1812 on the River and 1812 on the Lake.
• Apothecary Chocolates in Colton was forced to close its doors and lay off three full-time employees after tariffs surged the price of a bag of its specialty chocolate by more than 180% – from $125 in 2024 to over $350 as of August 2025.
• The Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority has struggled through a major drop-off in crossings at the Ogdensburg Prescott International Bridge, slashing toll revenue collection by more than $841,000 so far in 2025 and bridge traffic in the month of October by nearly 40,000 crossings year over year.
• Monthly Boxer in Watertown has faced a significant downtick in customer volume, order flow, and total revenue, which the company attributes directly to tariff rates and their volatility. The company says customers are downsizing, delaying, and even cancelling orders because of tariff-driven uncertainty in pricing and demand.
• Market on Main, a small independent retailer in Sackets Harbor, has experienced a noticeable decline in customer traffic and overall sales due to the impact of tariffs. Tariff-driven business closures have forced The Market to seek new suppliers for products such as chocolate, and absorb sharp prices increases on other items like olive oil and coffee.
• Lake & River Roasters in Cape Vincent has watched adversarial rhetoric and trade policies aimed at Canada and other key trading partners drive away friends, family and repeat customers from across the border, as tariffs have doubled the average price of their imported coffee beans – from around $3 per pound to $6 or more – in less than one year. This has forced the company to either charge more for impacted products at the risk of pricing out customers or absorb the added costs at the risk of operating on unsustainable margins.
• Johnson Newspaper Corps decided to reduce print publication of the Watertown Daily Times to five days a week earlier this year due to increased costs from tariffs.
• Alcoa has predicted that tariffs will cost the aluminum producer about $850 million every year.

In addition, Schumer said Canadians are canceling trips to the United States because of Trump’s tariff war and his insulting threats to annex Canada as the 51st state, hurting Main Street businesses that rely on season and are already slammed by higher prices, with the North Country hit first and hardest. Businesses in Jefferson County have seen a decline in spending since Trump took office, with purchases on Visa credit cards decreasing more than 60% every month since March compared to the previous year. Every month since Trump took office, tourism has declined across all the major bridge ports of entry between New York and Canada compared to last year, according to CBP. Since the beginning of the year when Trump took office, Thousand Islands Bridge has seen nearly 260,000 crossings this year compared to last year. Below is a breakdown of the 22% drop in border crossings across New York State from the summer:

“In recent years, 1812 Brewing Company has invested hundreds of man hours and made significant investments to gain entry into the Ontario, Canada market. Unfortunately, as a result of tariffs placed on Canada earlier this year, the Provincial Government of Ontario put a stop on the purchase of all American-made craft beer, including our gold medal winning War of 1812 Amber Ale. 10-15% of our total business was lost overnight, and in less than 10 months we have missed out on at least $100,000 in sales,” said Thomas W. Scozzafava, Chairman & CEO of 1812 Brewing Company. “To make matters worse, the strain placed on our relationship with Canada has substantially decreased tourism and cross-border traffic, causing a 5-10% decrease in business at our restaurants on the Black River and Lake Ontario. I hope that those deciding these policies - on both sides of the aisle - understand the true human impact of sudden and dramatic changes to the parameters of trade with our Canadian partners. I thank Senator Schumer for coming to our community to push for bipartisan legislation to roll back the tariffs on Canada harming small businesses like 1812, and for always fighting to protect New York State’s craft breweries.”

“Since the US-Canada tariff actions took effect in early 2025, OBPA’s cross-border operations have taken measurable hits. Last month, there were nearly 40,000 fewer bridge crossings, and revenue was down over 33% year over year. So far in 2025, total revenue is already down $841,000 and could rise to over $1 million by year’s end,” said Vernon “Sam” Burns, Board of Directors Chairperson, Ogdensburg Bridge & Port Authority. “The Authority’s business model is tightly tied to Canadian travelers and Canadian-linked freight. When tariffs go up, traffic goes down. It is the Authority’s mission to create sound economic and business development in Northern New York, but tariffs are currently preventing us from fulfilling that mission. The Authority applauds Senator Schumer for his bipartisan push to protect our region from the harmful impacts of tariffs and restore strong relations with our friends and neighbors to the north.”

"I am deeply disappointed and filled with sadness regarding the recent closure of my small chocolate business, which has been part of our rural Upstate New York community for eight years. Despite surviving the immense challenges of COVID-19, the sharp rise in costs and the impact of ongoing tariffs have made it financially impossible to continue operating," said Shelby Connelly, Owner, Apothecary Chocolates. "Closing this business was heartbreaking—not only for me, but for the three people I employed and the customers who supported us year after year. I poured my effort, creativity, and heart into this work, and it is painful to lose something that meant so much to my community and to my livelihood. I hope that sharing my experience will highlight the very real struggles that small rural businesses are facing. We are the backbone of our communities, and when we can no longer withstand the pressures placed upon us, the entire region feels the loss."

“My business sits at the crossroads of U.S.–Canada trade, providing shipping and logistics services to dozens of e-commerce companies and small brands from both countries. My clients rely on stable, predictable costs to keep things moving, but what we’ve seen over the past year is that blanket tariffs don’t just raise prices — they introduce a level of uncertainty that can kill small businesses. When tariff rates change unpredictably, my customers freeze, delay projects, scale back orders, or cancel shipments altogether because they don’t know what the tariff will be when their product lands,” said Alex Morgia, Owner, Monthly Boxer. “That impact shows up immediately at our warehouse in Watertown and affects every part of our local economy — hospitality, retail, logistics, and tourism. Here in the North Country, where our economy is intertwined with Ontario and Québec, a blanket tariff on Canada isn’t a targeted strategy — it’s an unforced economic error. If we want our region to grow, we need a smarter, more strategic approach to trade policy with predictable rules that strengthen cross-border commerce, not policies that inject friction, uncertainty, and fear. I appreciate Senator Schumer taking the time to hear what this looks like on the ground and fighting for small businesses like ours.”

“The United States’ recent adversarial posture toward Canada has strained the warm, easy relationship we’ve always enjoyed with our friends to the north. These tensions naturally reach small businesses like mine, where Canadian visitors are a valued part of our economy and our community,” said Kelly Clark, Owner, Market on Main. “When our country’s policies and rhetoric make it harder or less inviting for our northern neighbors to visit, we feel the difference—both in sales, and in the friendly connections we’ve always cherished. That is why I am proud to stand with Senator Schumer and my fellow small business owners in support of bipartisan legislation to end the emergency tariffs on Canada and release the tension they have created between our communities.”

Schumer continues to be one of the leading advocates in Congress to end this unnecessary, damaging trade war with Canada that is decimating Upstate NY’s economy, tourism, small businesses, and local jobs. This year, Schumer has twice used a special fast-track process to force a vote in the Senate to end Trump’s destructive trade war with Canada. With every economic data point flashing red because of Trump’s chaotic trade war, Schumer called on New York’s House Republicans to stand up for Upstate NY businesses and working families footing the bill for Trump’s tariff tax by taking up this resolution and passing it as well. Under Schumer’s leadership, Senate Democrats are also pushing for tariff exemptions for small businesses and putting an end to Trump’s across-the-board tariffs, and Schumer has co-led amicus briefs in the lawsuit challenging Trump’s authority to levy tariffs. Schumer said ending this costly trade war is key to protecting American families from price increases and job losses.

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