MISTA webinar: Michigan retailers still struggling with tariffs, looking to Congress for action

Nearly three quarters of Michigan retailers report being harmed by tariff policies and the uncertainty surrounding their implementation



LANSING, Michigan — Many Michiganders only learn of the harmful impact erratic trade policies have on prices and selection when they visit retailers across the Great Lakes state, putting retail workers on the front lines of our country’s trade policies.

That was the message from Drew Beardslee, vice president of government affairs for the Michigan Retailers Association (MRA), at a bipartisan webinar hosted Tuesday by the Michigan Smart Trade Alliance (MISTA).

The MRA has surveyed its members two times since sweeping tariffs were imposed last year. One followed President Trump’s announcement in April 2025 and the second came a year later, after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down tariffs enacted under emergency powers.

The most recent poll found that nearly three quarters of Michigan retailers report being harmed by tariff policies and the uncertainty surrounding their implementation. Retailers are “on the frontlines of tariffs,” Beardsley said, and bear the brunt of frustration from consumers as prices rise. Many retailers also report that the uncertainty of on-again, off-again trade policies makes planning into the next quarter or the next year nearly impossible.

“Until Congress can reassert its traditional role, we are going to continue to ride this rollercoaster,” Beardsley said. “There is a reason why Congress was identified in the constitution as the one branch that has responsibility over trade policies.”

“The surveys conducted by the Michigan Retailers Association prove something that we hear over and over: tariffs hurt businesses, and the erratic and on-again, off-again nature of the tariffs only compound that harm and make doing business extremely difficult,” said Mark Fisk, a spokesman for MISTA. “We need Congress to use the power given them in the Constitution to enact smart and consistent trade policies that enable businesses to thrive and lower prices for families.”

“The survey exposes deeper damage done by unpredictable tariff policies, with retailers reporting fewer raises for employees, less investment in facilities, and other financial problems,” said John Sellek, a spokesman for MISTA. “They echo the U.S. Supreme Court in calling on Congress to enact stable and predictable trade policies that allow our businesses to plan for future growth and job creation.”