Shaheen Statement on EU Trade Agreement

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a top member of the U.S. Senate Small Business Committee, released the following statement on the announcement of a trade agreement with the European Union (EU):

“Behind the positive spin from the Trump Administration is the stark truth that this trade ‘deal’ still forces Americans and American businesses to pay a tax rate that is ten times what they paid before the President’s trade war. Make no mistake: this tariff tax will be paid for by hardworking American families and businesses—not Europeans—who are already grappling with high prices. At a moment in which the American people are rightfully demanding action from Washington to bring down costs, President Trump is doing the exact opposite.

“We import invaluable products from the EU, many of which Americans will pay a 15 percent tax on thanks to President Trump. That’s an increase from the rates Americans have been paying since April that are already stoking the flames of inflation. And despite the President’s alleged love for manufacturing, the actual evidence shows that his sweeping tariffs continue to cause plant closures and layoffs of good-paying manufacturing jobs.

“We should be doing all we can to work with our trading partners to empower American small businesses to break into international markets and thrive, but instead, this administration is crushing their bottom lines to finance tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy.”

Senator Shaheen is helping lead efforts in Congress to mitigate the harmful impacts of President Trump's tariffs. Last week, Shaheen helped introduce bipartisan legislation, Creating Access to Necessary American-Canadian Duty Adjustments (CANADA) Act, that would exempt United States-owned small businesses from the sweeping tariffs imposed on Canadian products. Last month, Shaheen led 30 Senators in filing an amicus brief in a key case, Oregon v. Department of Homeland Security, challenging the Trump Administration’s abuse of emergency powers to impose tariffs. In January, Shaheen introduced the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act which would limit the president’s ability to leverage sweeping tariffs that increase costs for American consumers and families. Her effort to pass this bill by unanimous consent was blocked by Senate Republicans.

In recent months, Shaheen has traveled across the Granite State to discuss the impact of tariffs on New Hampshire’s tourism industry and to visit businesses impacted by President Trump’s trade war including Colby Footwear, Chatila’s Bakery, C&J, DCI Furniture, Mount Cabot Maple, American Calan Inc., Brueckner Group USA and NH Ball Bearings. In May, Shaheen led U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Peter Welch (D-VT) on a bipartisan delegation visit to Ottawa, Canada where they met with Prime Minister Mark Carney, members of his cabinet, the Business Council of Canada and other leading Canadian companies and business groups to reaffirm the strong U.S.-Canada partnership and support for our bilateral relationship among Congress and the American people.

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