On the Anniversary of “Liberation Day,” Pappas Renews Call for End to Trump’s Disastrous Tariffs
MANCHESTER, NH — One year after President Trump announced his disastrous “Liberation Day” tariffs, Congressman Chris Pappas is reiterating his call for the President to end his costly tariff policies that are making it harder for working families to get by.
“After a year of chaos, higher prices and economic uncertainty, Donald Trump has nothing to show for the economic pain he’s forced on working families and small businesses,” said Congressman Chris Pappas. “It’s time for the Trump Administration to abandon their reckless tariff policies and admit what we’ve known since the beginning: These tariffs are inflationary, illegal, and a drag on working families and the American economy. While John Sununu and Scott Brown continue to back Trump’s tariffs, I’ll continue fighting to lower costs for working people and to return wrongfully collected tariff revenue to Granite Small small businesses illegally forced to pay these taxes.”
Since Trump enacted his sweeping tariffs, Americans have paid more for basic necessities from energy to groceries to homegoods — spending on average an extra $1,745 per household in 2025. After the Supreme Court struck down the bulk of the President’s tariff agenda, the administration immediately enacted new tariffs that are projected to cost American families even more — with costs climbing to an average of more than $2,500 per family in 2026.
While Trump promised to usher in the “golden age of America,” manufacturing jobs have plummeted while higher prices and economic uncertainty have made it more difficult for companies to plan and grow.
New Hampshire is considered one of the New England states most vulnerable to Trump’s trade war, in part because the state’s relationship with Canada — one of its closest economic partners — has been strained, hurting tourism, manufacturing, and Main Street retailers.
- The Nutmeg Inn, a historic, family-run B&B in Meredith, has experienced an abrupt decrease in bookings due to Trump’s tariff war, especially with Canadian guests.
- The New Hampshire timber industry, which brings in billions of dollars annually and employs thousands of Granite Staters, has experienced dramatic drops in demand and greater market instability.
- C&J Bus Lines, a Seacoast-based transportation company, saw the cost of fuel and new buses skyrocket due to Trump’s tariffs, leaving the owner wondering how they would absorb the debilitating cost.
- New Hampshire Ball Bearings, a Peterborough-based precision bearing manufacturer that relies on imported materials, have been hit hard by Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum.
- In Concord, housing permits fell sharply in 2025 because of Trump’s tariffs, especially for multifamily housing.
Granite Staters are disproportionately paying the price for sweeping tariffs that function as a tax on working families — and Chris Pappas is fighting back. He’s leading efforts to rein in Trump’s reckless trade war and pushing to roll back the Trump Administration’s blanket tariffs that are driving up costs. A cosponsor of the No Tariffs on Groceries Act, Pappas has introduced legislation to lower grocery costs by preventing the President from enacting tariffs on food.
Pappas is also fighting to exempt New Hampshire small businesses from tariffs and introduced legislation to refund the money they’ve already paid because he believes Granite Staters shouldn’t have to pay the price for reckless economic policies that make it harder to afford the basics.
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