Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) highlighted his concern for trade in his state after President Trump’s tariffs went into effect, calling his behavior “erratic.”
Moore joined CBS News’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday, where he pointed to the shipping port in Baltimore and Maryland’s role in international trade.
“We’re already seeing the impacts of these …. disastrous, and frankly, not very well thought out policies when it comes to tariffs,” Moore said. “You know, tariffs are a tool. They’re not an ideology, but this administration is using it like an ideology.”
Moore noted that decisions are being made “to us” and not with thought about how they will impact Americans.
Trump’s 25 percent tariff plan went into effect earlier this month, impacting Canada and Mexico. China was also handed another 10 percent tariff, and the president has promised to impose reciprocal tariffs for other countries.
“We’re already seeing how this is going to have a significant impact on the Port of Baltimore, which is really one of … the country’s largest and most effective ports,” he said.
Moore also noted that there is an impact on farmers in his state.
The president walked back tariffs for cars after big auto companies expressed concern over the plan. Canada has threatened to impose energy tariffs and restrictions in retaliation to the U.S.
The moves have plunged the country into a trade war and caused uncertainty as Trump has claimed it’s a “flexible” situation.
“This lack of predictability, this erratic behavior and … the indecisive decisionmaking that’s being made is already having a very real impact on costs, it’s having a very real impact on our business and our small businesses, it’s having a very real impact on our economic engines and American competitiveness, as well as our national security,” Moore said.
“This erratic behavior is the thing that people were concerned about, and we are now seeing in real time in our states,” he continued.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.