Michigan retailers face “summer tax” as tariffs and uncertainty drive up prices

Michigan Smart Trade Alliance to host webinar with Michigan Retailers Association as survey shows many report negative impacts from tariffs

LANSING, Michigan — The Michigan Smart Trade Alliance (MISTA) will showcase a recent survey by the Michigan Retailers Association that found nearly three quarters of respondents reported tariffs were having a negative impact on their business. 

The Michigan Retailers Association conducted the survey following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in February that struck down tariffs enacted under emergency powers. Michigan is home to more than 90,000 retail establishments, employing more than half a million workers. As Michigan retailers prepare for a busy summer season, tariffs are acting like a summer tax – requiring business owners to explain the higher costs or product shortages to customers.

MISTA will host a webinar at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 16, to highlight the experience of Michigan retailers as they navigate trade and tariff pressures. Drew Beardslee, the retailers association vice president of government relations, will offer those insights and more from the survey of retailers across the Great Lakes state.

“The extreme challenges faced by retailers across Michigan demonstrate the need for Congress to enact smart and consistent trade policies that can help businesses thrive in Michigan,” said John Sellek, a MISTA spokesman.

“Erratic tariffs amount to a tax on Michigan retailers and represent an unnecessary barrier to our state’s success as we navigate difficult economic times,” said Mark Fisk, a spokesman for MISTA. “We owe it to the hard-working people who keep our state’s main streets and shopping centers vibrant to demand that Congress step in and enact stable and predictable trade policies that enable this sector to thrive.”