Magaziner Leads Roundtable on Impact of Trump Tariffs on Rhode Islanders

CRANSTON, RI — Today, U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02) hosted a roundtable discussion with representatives of the construction, hospitality, health care and manufacturing sectors in Rhode Island to address the negative impact of President Trump’s recent tariffs on workers, consumers and small businesses.

“Presient Trump’s tariffs are the largest tax increase on the Middle Class in decades,” said Magaziner. “Tariff rates now are the highest that we have had since before the Great Depression.”

View full video remarks from all speakers during today’s press conference here.

View or download photos from today’s full roundtable discussion here.

Speakers included:

• Justin Kelley, Director of Organizing and Strategic Planning for the Rhode Island Building & Construction Trades Council, who spoke about the risk of construction projects being cancelled or scaled back due to tariffs imposed on building materials.
• Ryan Moot, Manager of Business Development and Government Affairs, Rhode Island Hospitality Association, who spoke on the impact tariffs would have on local restaurants due to rising food costs and decreased tourism.
• Lauryn T. Estrella, Executive Director, Home Medical Equipment and Services Association of New England (HOMES), who spoke about how the tariffs will make durable medical equipment more expensive and harder for patients to access.
• Darryl Lindie, Owner of AA Sign & Awning in Warwick, who spoke about the impact to project-based small businesses.

BACKGROUND

The roundtable comes less than two weeks after President Trump’s unprecedented and chaotic tariff rollout on over 90 countries. A 10 percent tariff tax remains on goods from most countries, with significantly higher tariffs on many goods from China, Mexico and Canada.. Trump’s erratic tariff policy has resulted in continued sharp changes in the stock market, fueling economic uncertainty for consumer prices and businesses. 

The group discussed how tariffs affect the cost of construction and housing materials, increase prices on medical devices that raise healthcare costs, impact Rhode Island’s vital tourism and travel industry, and make it difficult for Rhode Island small businesses to manage the cost of their inputs.