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National Post
24 minutes ago
- National Post
Michigan auto jobs depend on changing course on tariffs, Whitmer tells Trump
Article content Under his series of executive orders and trade frameworks, U.S. automakers face import taxes of 50% on steel and aluminum, 30% on parts from China and a top rate of 25% on goods from Canada and Mexico not covered under an existing 2020 trade agreement. That puts America's automakers and parts suppliers at a disadvantage against German, Japanese and South Korean vehicles that only face a 15% import tax negotiated by Trump last month. Article content On top of that, Trump this past week threatened a 100% tariff on computer chips, which are an integral part of cars and trucks, though he would exclude companies that produce chips domestically from the tax. Article content Whitmer's two earlier meetings with Trump resulted in gains for Michigan. But the tariffs represent a significantly broader request of a president who has imposed them even more aggressively in the face of criticism. Article content Materials in the presentation brought Whitmer to the meeting and obtained by The Associated Press noted how trade with Canada and Mexico has driven $23.2 billion in investment to Michigan since 2020. Article content Article content General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis operate 50 factories across the state, while more than 4,000 facilities support the auto parts supply chain. Altogether, the sector supports nearly 600,000 manufacturing jobs, forming the backbone of Michigan's economy. Article content Whitmer outlined the main points of the materials to Trump and left copies with his team. Article content To Grossman, the Michigan State professor, a key question is whether voters who expected to be helped by tariffs would react if Trump's import taxes failed to deliver the promised economic growth. Article content 'Everyone's aware that Michigan is a critical swing state and the auto industry has outsized influence, not just directly, but symbolically,' Grossman said. Article content AP VoteCast found that Trump won Michigan in 2024 largely because two-thirds of its voters described the economic conditions as being poor or 'not so good.' Roughly 70% of the voters in the state who felt negatively about the economy backed the Republican. The state was essentially split over whether tariffs were a positive, with Trump getting 76% of those voters who viewed them favorably. Article content Article content The heads of General Motors, Ford and Stellantis have repeatedly warned the administration that the tariffs would cut company profits and undermine their global competitiveness. Their efforts have resulted in little more than a temporary, monthlong pause intended to give companies time to adjust. The reprieve did little to blunt the financial fallout. Article content In the second quarter alone, Ford reported $800 million in tariff-related costs, while GM said the import taxes cost it $1.1 billion. Those expenses could make it harder to reinvest in new domestic factories, a goal Trump has championed. Article content 'We expect tariffs to be a net headwind of about $2 billion this year, and we'll continue to monitor the developments closely and engage with policymakers to ensure U.S. autoworkers and customers are not disadvantaged by policy change,' Ford CEO Jim Farley said on his company's earning call. Since Trump returned to the White House, Michigan has lost 7,500 manufacturing jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Michigan Gov. told Trump in private that auto jobs depend on a tariff change of course
An American Flag at the Ford Motor Company Kentucky Truck Plant is seen during a media tour for the launch of the 2025 Ford Expedition in Louisville, Ky., April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File) WASHINGTON — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer met privately in the Oval Office with U.S. President Donald Trump to make a case he did not want to hear: the automotive industry he said he wants to save were being hurt by his tariffs. The Democrat came with a slide deck to make her points in a visual presentation. Just getting the meeting last Tuesday with the Republican president was an achievement for someone viewed as a contender for her party's White House nomination in 2028. Whitmer's strategy for dealing with Trump highlights the conundrum for her and other Democratic leaders as they try to protect the interests of their states while voicing their opposition to his agenda. It's a dynamic that Whitmer has navigated much differently from many other Democratic governors. The fact that Whitmer had 'an opening to make direct appeals' in private to Trump was unique in this political moment, said Matt Grossman, a Michigan State University politics professor. It was her third meeting with Trump at the White House since he took office in January. This one, however, was far less public than the time in April when Whitmer was unwittingly part of an impromptu news conference that embarrassed her so much she covered her face with a folder. On Tuesday, she told the president that the economic damage from the tariffs could be severe in Michigan, a state that helped deliver him the White House in 2024. Whitmer also brought up federal support for recovery efforts after an ice storm and sought to delay changes to Medicaid. Trump offered no specific commitments, according to people familiar with the private conversation who were not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke only on condition of anonymity to describe it. Whitmer is hardly the only one sounding the warning of the potentially damaging consequences, including factory job losses, lower profits and coming price increases, of the import taxes that Trump has said will be the economic salvation for American manufacturing. White House spokesman Kush Desai that no other president 'has taken a greater interest in restoring American auto industry dominance than President Trump.' Trade frameworks negotiated by the administration would open up the Japanese, Korean and European markets for vehicles made on assembly lines in Michigan, Desai said. But the outreach Trump has preferred tends to be splashy presentations by tech CEOs. In the Oval Office on Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook gave the president a customized glass plaque with a gold base as Cook promised US$600 billion in investments. Trump claims to have brought in $17 trillion in investment commitments, although none of those numbers has surfaced yet in economic data. Under his series of executive orders and trade frameworks, U.S. automakers face import taxes of 50 per cent on steel and aluminum, 30 per cent on parts from China and a top rate of 25 per cent on goods from Canada and Mexico not covered under an existing 2020 trade agreement. That puts America's automakers and parts suppliers at a disadvantage against German, Japanese and South Korean vehicles that only face a 15 per cent import tax negotiated by Trump last month. On top of that, Trump this past week threatened a 100 per cent tariff on computer chips, which are an integral part of cars and trucks, though he would exclude companies that produce chips domestically from the tax. Whitmer's two earlier meetings with Trump resulted in gains for Michigan. But the tariffs represent a significantly broader request of a president who has imposed them even more aggressively in the face of criticism. Materials in the presentation brought Whitmer to the meeting and obtained by The Associated Press noted how trade with Canada and Mexico has driven $23.2 billion in investment to Michigan since 2020. General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis operate 50 factories across the state, while more than 4,000 facilities support the auto parts supply chain. Altogether, the sector supports nearly 600,000 manufacturing jobs, forming the backbone of Michigan's economy. Whitmer outlined the main points of the materials to Trump and left copies with his team. To Grossman, the Michigan State professor, a key question is whether voters who expected to be helped by tariffs would react if Trump's import taxes failed to deliver the promised economic growth. 'Everyone's aware that Michigan is a critical swing state and the auto industry has outsized influence, not just directly, but symbolically,' Grossman said. AP VoteCast found that Trump won Michigan in 2024 largely because two-thirds of its voters described the economic conditions as being poor or 'not so good.' Roughly 70 per cent of the voters in the state who felt negatively about the economy backed the Republican. The state was essentially split over whether tariffs were a positive, with Trump getting 76 per cent of those voters who viewed them favorably. The heads of General Motors, Ford and Stellantis have repeatedly warned the administration that the tariffs would cut company profits and undermine their global competitiveness. Their efforts have resulted in little more than a temporary, monthlong pause intended to give companies time to adjust. The reprieve did little to blunt the financial fallout. In the second quarter alone, Ford reported $800 million in tariff-related costs, while GM said the import taxes cost it $1.1 billion. Those expenses could make it harder to reinvest in new domestic factories, a goal Trump has championed. 'We expect tariffs to be a net headwind of about $2 billion this year, and we'll continue to monitor the developments closely and engage with policymakers to ensure U.S. autoworkers and customers are not disadvantaged by policy change,' Ford CEO Jim Farley said on his company's earning call. Since Trump returned to the White House, Michigan has lost 7,500 manufacturing jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Smaller suppliers have felt the strain, too. Detroit Axle, a family-run auto parts distributor, has been one of the more vocal companies in Michigan about the impact of the tariffs. The company initially announced it might have to shut down a warehouse and lay off more than 100 workers, but later said it would be able to keep the facility open, at least for now. 'Right now it's a market of who is able to survive, it's not a matter of who can thrive,' said Mike Musheinesh, owner of Detroit Axle. Joey Cappelletti And Josh Boak, The Associated Press
Globe and Mail
3 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
RCMP union advocates for ease of foreign applicant requirements to help force attract talent
The union representing front-line RCMP members wants the force to ease requirements for foreign applicants to help attract experienced police officers from agencies like the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and counterparts in the United Kingdom and Australia. The RCMP currently requires that applicants be Canadian citizens or have permanent resident status in Canada. Applicants with permanent resident status must have lived in Canada as a permanent resident for three of the last five years. The National Police Federation says the RCMP should follow the lead of the Canadian Armed Forces, which in 2022 opened applications to permanent residents without any requirement on time spent in Canada. Federation president Brian Sauvé said he's 'pretty sure we can attract some good talent' through a similar move by the RCMP. Sauvé compares the idea to federal immigration programs that seek to entice skilled workers to come to Canada. 'If this government has identified public safety, border security and all that stuff as an imperative, we can do the same thing, right?' Sauvé said in a recent interview. 'We have equivalency training. You can come from Manchester, you can come from New South Wales, you can come from, I don't know, the FBI. And we'll train you to be equivalent, to give you a job and put you in a role.' The proposal is one of several ideas the police federation presented in a June report aimed at improving the RCMP's recruitment practices, funding model, training programs and procurement. The federation says independent reports over the past two decades have offered the federal government clear guidance on how to improve RCMP operations in these areas. 'Yet time and again, these recommendations have been met with inaction or insufficient follow-through,' the June report says. 'As a result, long-standing issues persisted and were allowed to worsen.' Public Safety Canada spokesperson Max Watson said the department is committed to working with the RCMP and others to ensure the force 'is equipped to meet evolving public safety needs.' The federation is calling for a streamlined and modernized RCMP application processing system, more training capacity and an increase in the cadet training allowance to about $1,200 a week from the current $525. The federation says it wants more flexibility for some new recruits, such as people from other law enforcement agencies, to make it easier for them to fit into the RCMP. For instance, the federation notes only serving or recently inactive police officers can apply through the RCMP's three-week experienced police officer program, provided they meet strict criteria. That excludes a large pool of well-trained public safety personnel, including members of the Canada Border Services Agency, provincial sheriffs, conservation officers and other law enforcement agents who may not meet the threshold, the report says. Forcing these candidates to repeat a full 26-week training program at the RCMP training depot 'creates a barrier to recruitment and results in missed opportunities to bring skilled, experienced candidates into the RCMP,' the report adds. It also says the federal procurement process is too slow and unresponsive to the urgent needs of modern policing, and drains valuable government resources. 'Delays in rolling out life-saving equipment, including service pistols, body armour and body-worn cameras, threaten both officer safety and public trust,' the report says. Ottawa to invest $2-billion into armed forces for pay increases, improved benefits During the spring election campaign, the Liberals promised to recruit 1,000 more RCMP personnel to tackle drug and human trafficking, foreign interference, cybercrime and car thefts by organized crime. The Liberals also pledged to create a new RCMP academy in Regina and increase pay for cadet recruits. Watson acknowledged the promise to hire more Mounties and said Public Safety recognizes the importance of cadet pay in broader efforts to support recruitment and retention. The RCMP did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication. The police force has been told to trim two per cent of its budget as part of a governmentwide cost-cutting exercise. Sauvé said he is 'cautiously optimistic' the Liberal government will follow through on its commitment to strengthen law enforcement, set out in a May mandate letter. The RCMP provides policing services through contracts with all provinces and territories, except Ontario and Quebec. RCMP policing agreements cover much of rural Canada, all of the North and many towns and municipalities in contract provinces. The police federation acknowledges that some continue to ask whether the RCMP should shed its contract policing role across Canada and become more like the FBI by focusing on federal criminal matters. In March, before Mark Carney became prime minister, the Liberals published a paper outlining a new vision for the RCMP. It suggested the force concentrate on federal policing, reflecting its 'essential mandate and where it is best placed to lead investigations.' The federation flatly rejects the idea. 'The RCMP's integrated pan-Canadian policing model remains one of its greatest strengths, due to its ability to leverage co-ordination, consistency and efficiency across all jurisdictions,' the June report says. It argues that moving away from the current model 'would create deep service gaps, duplication and costly public safety and economic inefficiencies with no evidence of better results.' The federation calls for dedicated funding for federal policing, saying RCMP officers carrying out those duties must no longer be used to backstop vacancies in contract jurisdictions. 'Federal assets should be used solely for federal mandates,' the report says. 'If federal members are redeployed for non-federal purposes, those services must be cost-recovered from contract partners.'
