Latest news with #StateoftheRegion
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Detroit Regional Chamber discusses Trump tariffs amid ever-changing future
The Brief The Detroit Regional Chamber presented its 11th State of the Region. Many business leaders expressed concern over President Donald Trump's future tariffs. On the Canadian side, these tariffs might have them searching elsewhere for a deal. DETROIT (FOX 2) - Business leaders gathered for the Detroit Regional Chamber's State of the Region presentation on Tuesday and a big discussion item surrounded President Donald Trump's tariffs. Big picture view On Wednesday, President Trump is planning to implement new tariffs on several countries, including Canada, which could strongly impact Michigan's economy. The Detroit Regional Chamber presented its 11th State of the Region, where many leaders expressed concern over the president's choices. "We are in a period of yo-yo tariff policy which in itself is incredibly disruptive for folks who are having to manage across the border," said Colin Bird, Consul General of Canada in Detroit. What they're saying Trump is expected to roll out tariffs on numerous countries, including Canada, targeting imports of our northern neighbor's energy, oil, and goods. Some of the president's goals through the tariffs to secure the Canadian border and stop the trafficking of fentanyl. "It's a close, close relationship and there's no good reason for our government at any level to label Canada as a national security threat or a trade partner villain or to suggest that Canada become the 51st state. That is a supreme insult," said former U.S. Ambassador to Canada, James Blanchard. Other goals of the president are to counter unfair trade practices and encourage American manufacturing. "We're gonna bring manufacturing back. Tell me how that's going to happen in a political cycle? Best case scenario: it takes 3–4 years to build an automotive plant; It takes that same amount of time if you're lucky to build an aluminum plant," said Detroit Regional Chamber CEO Sandy Baruah. "So how does the Trump Administration from a political standpoint withstand the unemployment that's going to happen, the slowdown of the economy?" What's next Baruah is bracing for a potential impact of the proposed Liberation Day tariffs pointing out that Michigan will be at the epicenter of any possible fallout because a lot of goods pass back and forth at the border. On the Canadian side, these tariffs might have them searching elsewhere for a deal. On Wednesday, Americans will find out exact details on President Trump's tariffs as the situation is ever-changing. The Source FOX 2 attended the discussion and used information from previous reporting.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tariffs weigh heavy on Detroit Chamber's State of the Region as Trump pledges additional levies
Democratic former Gov. James Blanchard, a former U.S. Ambassador to Canada, slammed President Donald Trump's approach to foreign relations with the U.S.'s northern neighbor during the Detroit Regional Chamber's State of the Region presentation on April 1, 2025. | Screenshot While the Detroit Regional Chamber celebrated a resilient economy, low unemployment and a prosperous business environment in the region, President Donald Trump's trade policies cast a cloud over the state's future as business and political leaders warned that a trade war with Canada could bring particular harm to metro Detroit. Arguing Canada has not done its part in combating the flow of migrants and fentanyl into the United States, Trump has levied a 25% additional tariff on goods from the nation's northern neighbor, with a lower 10% tariff on energy resources from Canada. Trump has also ordered a 25% tariff on all Canadian steel and aluminum imports and a 25% tariff on imported cars and light trucks, which economists have said could reduce 2025 US auto sales by 700,000 vehicles. Canada has responded by levying tariffs of its own on more than $30 billion in U.S. goods including orange juice, peanut butter, wine, spirits, beer, coffee, appliances and more. It has also imposed a 25% reciprocal tariff on $12.6 billion worth of U.S. steel products, $3 billion in aluminum products, and $14.2 billion in additional goods including tools, computers and servers, display monitors, sport equipment and cast-iron products. While the Canadian government has said all options are on the table should the U.S. continue to impose tariffs, Trump has labeled Wednesday, April 2, 'Liberation Day' with plans to announce massive tariffs in an effort to fulfill his administration's economic promises, although the details of his plans still remain unclear. Addressing members of the chamber and their guests on Tuesday, James Blanchard, a former Democratic governor of Michigan who served as the ambassador to Canada from 1993 to 1996, pointed to the benefits of the centuries-long alliance between the U.S. and its neighbor to the north, noting the two countries have held an integrated economy in the automotive, energy, agriculture and national security sectors for years. With many economists predicting a recession and Ford CEO Jim Farley warning a 25% tariff on autos would 'blow a hole' in the U.S. auto industry, Blanchard warned further tariffs could bring serious harm to businesses and consumers. 'I'm not an economist. I'm not an astrologist. All I know is Liberation Day could become Inflation Day if we don't watch it. And that's serious,' Blanchard said. From allying together in World War I and II, the Korean War and the War in Afghanistan, serving as founding members of the United Nations and NATO, as well as partners in NORAD, holding integrated economies and partnering on issues pertinent to the Great Lakes, Blanchard said there is 'no good reason' to label Canada a national security threat or trade villain or to suggest it should become the 51st state, in reference to remarks from Trump suggesting Canada would be better off as part of the U.S. Additionally, Blanchard claimed more migrants have been heading north into Canada than south into the U.S., challenging the President's rationale for initiating a trade war with what has long been regarded as one of its closest allies. According to the Canadian government, the country has experienced an influx of individuals crossing between official ports of entry, though it has not publicly released statistics on the number of irregular border crossings since the beginning of 2025. Blanchard also noted that fentanyl coming from Canada represented less than 1% of fentanyl seizures nationwide. The former ambassador later noted that Canada was the largest importer of American goods, pointing to energy imports as the cause of the U.S.'s trade deficit with Canada. 'We want that. Michigan uses that. We need that on any given day, natural gas which heats the homes and businesses in this town is probably natural gas from Canada, either shipped directly or back from Ontario,' Blanchard said, He once again challenged Trump, noting the country is already leading the globe in oil production, countering the president's argument that the country is facing an energy crisis. Throughout his speech Blanchard called on Michiganders to show their appreciation for their friends and family members in Canada, pointing to the opening of the new Gordie Howe International Bridge between Detroit and Windsor planned for this Fall as an opportunity to celebrate the nation's friendship. 'Let's celebrate that as we move forward, and let's make sure no one distorts the truth about how fabulous this relationship is,' he said. While the Detroit Regional Chamber's 2025 State of the Region report showed strong economic growth, job growth, growth in commercial real estate market as well as strong activity in venture capital, the chamber's President and CEO Sandy Baruah warned that region was particularly susceptible to the impacts of Trump's trade policy, with its report noting that 234,000 jobs in the Detroit Region rely on trade and investment with Canada. 'In just, you know, literally two or three months, we've seen one of the biggest drops in nationwide CEO confidence we've ever seen and Michigan is at a disproportionate risk with some of the changes that we are seeing potentially at the federal level, everything from changes in [electric vehicle] policy, electrification, infrastructure and certainly tariffs,' Baruah said. 'We're an automotive state. Our supply chains are completely integrated. There is no other state in the nation that has a more integrated supply chain than with the nation of Canada, than Michigan, particularly around automotive and manufacturing,' Baruah said. While Blanchard highlighted the U.S.'s personal ties to Canada, Baruah further emphasized the economic ties, noting that one in eight residents of the Detroit Region workers hold ties to Canada in addition to 650 Canadian companies with major footprints in Michigan. According to a poll conducted by the Lansing-based Glengariff group in partnership with the Chamber, Baruah said nearly 70% of Michigan voters believed Canada is an economic friend of the U.S., while a majority understand that tariffs on Canadian goods will hurt Michigan's economy. Following Baruah's breakdown of the chamber's economic report, lawyer and International Trade expert Aida Dismondy joined Blanchard and Baruah alongside Consul General of Canada in Detroit Colin Bird for a discussion moderated by Devin Scillian, a longtime journalist who retired from WDIV-TV 4 in December. The panelists severely criticized Trump's actions against Canada, with Bird noting that 70% of exports from Canada into the U.S. are further input into manufacturing. 'What that speaks to is what we do in this region of highly integrated trade… that's what makes it really valuable for me as a Canadian diplomat here in Michigan to know that this is not a Michigan policy. This is a made in Washington problem, and we need to be working together across this border to protect this region together,' Bird said. Dismondy echoed Blanchard's earlier remarks about friends in Canada, noting that she had told her clients their suppliers are their best allies at the moment. 'In a time when the federal government has let us down from a trade policy perspective, it is this time when going back to [the] Governor's remarks, not only to just call our friends, but our business partners and come together as a united front, because it is through business partners that we will continue these relationships at a time when chaos and insecurity or uncertainty is looming large,' Dismondy said. On Friday, Baruah, alongside Glenn Stevens Jr., the executive director of MichAuto, which advocates for the state's automotive and mobility sector, sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Treasury, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, the U.S. Trade Representative and the state's congressional delegation, asking them to continue a pause on applying tariffs to auto parts that comply with the United States–Mexico–Canada trade agreement and advising against levying tariffs on vehicles produced outside of Mexico and Canada as well as parts produced outside North America. When asked to expand on this letter, Baruah told Scillian he could not see the end game of these policies. 'When I talk to people who are close to the president, people who are in the administration, Republican members of Congress, etc, etc. And they kind of give us the talking points. They say 'Well, you know, there's going to be short term pain, you know, but it's, you know, we're going to bring, you know, we're going to bring manufacturing back here,'' Baruah said. 'Tell me how that's going to happen in a political cycle, because, you know, best case scenario, it takes three, four years to build an automotive plant, it takes about that same amount of time, if you're lucky, to build an aluminum plant, right? So how does, frankly, the Trump administration, from a political standpoint, withstand the unemployment that's going to happen, the slowdown in the economy,' Baruah asked, warning that tariffs could lead to rising prices due to tariffs and high unemployment as industries slow down. Bird later noted that the U.S.'s actions toward Canada had spurred the country into conversations with other trade partners as other countries also expect to face U.S. tariffs. 'How do we reimagine some trading arrangements that, frankly, we have not put enough effort into because this has been such an easy, effective relationship that we've had with the United States. So it's forcing us to be more creative, and it's uniting Canadians in a way that I've never seen, and makes me proud,' Bird said. Dismondy, Blanchard and Baruah further stressed the importance of allies as the U.S. works to protect itself from economic threats alongside threats to national security, focusing on Russia and China. 'The only way, given China's frankly, very strong competitive advantages, to combat the Chinese economic and national security threats is to do it together,' Baruah said. However, there is some good news, Blanchard said, pointing to Trump's nominee for ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, the former chair of the Michigan Republican Party, who served as ambassador to the Netherlands under Trump's first administration as well as a U.S. Representative from 1993 to 2011. 'He is eminently qualified to be ambassador to Canada or just about anywhere. He does have the ear of President Trump. I've spoken with him. I said, 'You got a big job, but you're up to it, Pete.' So I think he will be helpful to a reasonable degree, and I think that's good for Michigan and good for our country,' Blanchard said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Business groups lay out risks, opportunities of Trump policies in Hampton Roads
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Two month's into President Donald Trump's second term, local business and government organizations in Hampton Roads are making their thoughts known on the potential good, and bad, of his proposed policies. Specifically, the letter sent to the six lawmakers representing the region on the federal level highlights where they think the local workforce and infrastructure fit within the president's 'America First' agenda. It also lists off the risks — what tariffs could do to local farmers, what the lack of support of offshore wind could mean for investments already made and what cuts to defense spending and the federal workforce could mean for the local economy. 'We would like for you to protect the gains we have made in recent years, help buildupon those gains, and work with us to advance the region, ensuring new gains under thisadministration,' the letter said. A pair of the signatories said the idea to compile the document was born out of the Trump administration's proposals to drastically change the way the federal government operates. Dominion's offshore wind project spared from Trump's pause 'We are 37th [largest United States metro] in population, we're fifth in terms of DoD spending, and we're fourth in terms of percent of federal workforce,' said Nancy Grden, president and CEO of the Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable. 'So anything that happens at the federal level, we are really getting sort of more than 'our share' of what's happening.' Aside from Grden, the letter is signed by the leaders of the Hampton Roads Chamber, Hampton Roads Alliance, Hampton Roads Workforce Council, Virginia Peninsula Chamber, Virginia Maritime Association and Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance. Hampton Roads' economy is supported by three main pillars: defense, the maritime port and the hospitality and tourism industry, according to Old Dominion University. In the economic department's latest 'State of the Region' report, a 'fourth-straight year of growth' was predicted for the region. However, Bryan Stephens, president and CEO of the Hampton Roads Chamber, said business doesn't thrive when uncertainty exists. Forty percent of the region's GDP is tied to federal spending. It's the same spending the Trump administration is looking to slash. 'The business community likes certainty,' Stephens said. 'The business community likes predictability, and with this rapidity of policy changes, there is a lack of certainty and there's a lack of predictability in the business community. So we wanted to address the issue head-on.' Trump's plan to 'resurrect' American shipbuilding could mean opportunity for Tidewater The letter touts Hampton Roads as the 'epicenter of our nation's security interests' and encourages lawmakers to vouch for the region when at all possible. 'You know, the fact that the administration wants to increase shipbuilding and ship repair is going to play big benefits to Hampton Roads.' Stephens said. 'But there's also some risk associated to it, like layoffs in the federal government.' The letter warns of 'shocks' to the economy, our national security and to the services necessary for the health and safety of residents if cuts aren't carried out in a 'deliberate and thoughtful' way. Grden said this will likely only be the first iteration of the letter. 'Considering the rapidity of these executive orders and all that's coming out, we know that this is a living document,' Grden said. 'We acted as regional organizations on behalf of Hampton Roads, and I think the important takeaway is that there is a group of groups, if you will, that really wants to advocate on behalf of the of the whole place.' Kiggans: Cuts that weaken defense capabilities 'unacceptable' Congressional-Delegation-Letter-New-Administration-and-New-CongressDownload Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's plan to ‘resurrect' American shipbuilding could mean opportunity for Tidewater
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — While President Donald Trump made many assurances during his marathon speech to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night, likely no comment caused ears in Tidewater to perk up like his comment about shipbuilding. 'To boost our defense and industrial base we are also going to resurrect the American shipbuilding industry, including commercial shipbuilding and military shipbuilding,' Trump said. 'I am announcing tonight that we will create a new office of shipbuilding in the White House and offer special tax incentives to bring this industry home to America where it belongs.' Va., NC legislators react to Trump's address The shipbuilding and ship repair industry employs more than 41,000 people in Hampton Roads, according to the most recent State of the Region report. Newport News Shipbuilding is the largest private employer in the region. However, David White, executive director of the Virginia Maritime Association, said the shipyard, owned by Huntington Ingalls Industries, is also currently the only company to be building new vessels all for the military. Currently, those ships are being delivered to the U.S. Navy months, if not years, late. Labor unions call on Trump to boost US shipbuilding against increasing Chinese dominance 'Certainly sending a clear signal that [this issue] is of national importance is a very, very positive first step,' White said. Last year, several unions sent a letter to President Joe Biden noting that China manufactured more than 1,000 ocean-going vessels in 2023, while the United States made fewer than 10 ships. The letter added that the Chinese shipbuilding industry received more than $100 billion in government support from 2010 to 2018, such that Chinese shipyards accounted for the majority of worldwide orders last year. Most large cruise ships and cargo vessels continue to be built outside of the United States. 'It's far less expensive,' White said. But White remains optomistic. 'Right here in Hampton Roads, we are the home to the to the nation's largest shipbuilding ship repair industrial base,' White said. 'So there is already more of those activities and that expertise that exists here than any place else in the country. … I believe firmly that with the investments and with the right efforts from a workforce perspective, that we can expand the capabilities that already exist here to increase our production capabilities.' The Virginia Ship Repair Association, which represents many of the shipyards on the Tidewater waterfront, agrees. '[The] Virginia Ship Repair Association welcomes any initiative that strengthens and supports the ship repair and construction industry in Virginia. While it is still early in the discussion of what a 'Department of Shipbuilding' would be like, we look forward to understanding how it could positively impact Virginia's shipyard industry and grow our workforce. Maintaining a strong maritime shipyard sector in Virginia will enhance our contribution to our national security through ship maintenance, modernization, sustainment, and construction.' Virginia Ship Repair Association 'We are grateful for the President's supportive shipbuilding comments to Congress, as we work collaboratively with the government to expand capacity of the industrial base and accelerate throughput in our shipyards to meet a generational increase in demand, in support of the Navy and the nation.' Danny Hernandez, spokesperson, HII Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
BBC News
26-02-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Life expectancy in the West Midlands is below the national average
Life expectancy for people in the West Midlands is below the national average, with figures showing an increase in the number of preventable West Midlands Combined Authority's (WMCA) State of the Region draft report revealed that between 2021-23, the life expectancy for women was 82.5 years and 78.4 for men – below the England average of 83.1 for women and 79.1 for positively, the figures were an increase on the 2018-20 period for the region of 81.9 years for women and 77.6 for report said: "By focusing on the socio-economic causes of health inequalities, the region's below-average life expectancy and high levels of preventable deaths can be addressed." The report stated Solihull – the most affluent area in the region – had the highest life expectancy, while Sandwell and Wolverhampton, among the most deprived, had the also revealed the number of preventable deaths in the West Midlands had increased sharply, particularly during the Covid factors were also identified as having a major impact on people's health in the report also showed there had been a decline in deaths attributed to particulate air pollution within the West Midlands from 7.5 per cent in 2018 to 6.2 per cent in 2022, but this was still higher than the national average of 5.8 per West Midlands had the lowest percentage of physically active children and young people at 49 per cent, while obesity rates among reception children were the highest in the country at 10.9 per report said public services needed to be reformed to become more "integrated and strongly focused" on prevention."[Also] interventions built around the way people live their lives so that the socio-economic causes of health inequalities can be addressed." This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
