In Letter to President Trump, Shaheen Highlights Harm of Steel and Aluminum Tariffs to New Hampshire and Urges Him to Reconsider

**SHAHEEN: “A trade war would be a disaster for New Hampshire”**

(Washington, DC)—  Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) sent a letter to President Donald Trump, urging him to reconsider his plan to impose steep tariffs on all imports of steel and aluminum. In her letter, Senator Shaheen warns President Trump of the dire effects that a trade war would have on New Hampshire’s economy.

“A trade war would be a disaster for New Hampshire,” wrote Senator Shaheen. “New Hampshire’s economy has benefitted greatly from strengthened ties and increased access to foreign markets, especially neighboring Canada, our largest trading partner. In fact, international trade supports more than one in five jobs in the Granite State, and these trade-related jobs grew more than 9.6 times faster than overall employment from 2004 to 2013. A trade war would put New Hampshire’s $4 billion of exports at risk and hurt New Hampshire’s exporters, 87 percent of which are small- and medium-sized businesses.”

In her letter, Senator Shaheen affirms the need to address global overcapacity of steel and aluminum, particularly with China. However, the President’s plan to impose tariffs on US allies doesn’t address that concern and threatens American exporters and importers, including farmers and manufacturers.

Senator Shaheen also highlights the significant impact felt across global markets in reaction to the President’s plan, as well as Defense Secretary Mattis’ warning about negative effects on the United States’ relationships with allies in the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Shaheen concludes, “Going after Canada and our European allies will not only fail to solve the problem of Chinese overcapacity, but also jeopardizes key markets for American goods and strategic relationships that we rely on for our national security… I urge you to reconsider this damaging policy and consult with experts in the coming weeks so that we can prevent an unnecessary trade war that will hurt our economy.”

Senator Shaheen has authored legislation that would help small businesses sell their products overseas. Her amendment to a trade enforcement bill to boost exports by US small businesses was signed into law by President Obama in 2016. Shaheen was also the first New Hampshire Governor to lead trade missions outside of North America. The four trade missions she led during her six years as Governor resulted in $500 million in projected sales for New Hampshire businesses.

The letter can be read in full here.