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Past Is Prologue: North Carolina Says “No!” To New Tariffs

President Trump proposed tariffs threaten to upend billion-dollar industries, such as agriculture and manufacturing, in the Tar Heel State.

North Carolinians are no stronger to the pain inflicted by tariffs. In President Trump’s first term, tariffs devastated the state’s agricultural industry and made everyday life for North Carolinians more expensive as the price of household goods skyrocketed and farmers were pushed out of the global market.

Now, new data suggests that this latest round of tariffs could cost the average Americans family between $2,100 and $4,900, forcing households to feel the pinch of tariffs once again.

Tariff Impact On North Carolina During President Trump’s First Term
  • Proposed tariffs on $7 billion worth of Mexican imports in 2019 threatened to raise prices for North Carolina families on everything from tomatoes and avocados to washing machines. (WRAL News, 6/7/19)
  • As families tried to rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, tariffs on foreign imports, such as steel, lumber, countertops, furniture and gypsum raised construction costs to unaffordable levels. (The New York Times, 9/21/18)
Tariff Impact On North Carolina Today
  • The hog and pork industry contribute more than $10 billion to North Carolina’s economic output — all of which is at risk with tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada (The Carolina Journal, 4/25/25)
  • Tariffs on aluminum and agriculture products are battering an already struggling beer industry in the state where some local breweries fear rising prices on four-packs to $20. (Axios, 4/22/22)
What North Carolinians Are Saying About Tariffs Today
  • Senator Thom Tillis, (R-NC): “It just seems like we’ve decided to begin a trade war on all fronts, and that’s OK, if the person who thought this through has an answer for why you go after partners that we have a very long storied relationship with … but I am skeptical.” (The Hill, 4/8/25)
  • Brookes Barnes, Wilson County Farmer: “If [China] completely boycott[s] U.S. agriculture and says[s], ‘nope we’re not buying anything at all.’ No soybeans, No tobacco. No nothing, there’s going to be some sad times, and not only in North Carolina, but in the United States, period … a person that is not financially stable right now this minute could be easily put out of business by this.” (Spectrum News, 4/29/25)
  • Mike Beverly, Owner, Wise Men Brewing: “We live in a global marketplace, and that’s been built since World War II. The reshape that is going to take years and years, and there will be a lot of pain for small businesses like ours.” (WXII, 4/8/25)
What North Carolinians Said About Tariffs During President Trump’s First Term
  • Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler (R-NC): “We know that farming is a risky business. There’s no question. But I have seen the tears in farmers’ eyes and run it down their cheeks that I never thought I would see. Ever.” (WFDD, 11/8/19)
  • Gary Salamido, Acting President, North Carolina Chamber of Commerce: “Too many North Carolina jobs rely on a strong trade relationship with Mexico. Our state’s employers, manufacturers and consumers can’t afford the devastating impact of this policy.” (WRAL News, 6/7/19).
  • Skip Greene, Kinston Contractor: “In the short term, it is definitely hurting us… We’ve got a tariff war going on with China and Canada, and the result was that it couldn’t move ahead with building affordable housing.” (The New York Times, 9/21/28)