Round Up: Impact of One Year of Tom Tiffany’s Tariffs in Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. — One year ago today, Donald Trump declared April 2nd “Liberation Day” and enacted a sweeping and severe set of tariff-taxes that disrupted the world economy, devastated businesses and farmers, threatened jobs, and sent costs soaring for Wisconsin families. No one has been more supportive of these punishing tariff-taxes than GOP candidate for governor Tom Tiffany, who said that despite skyrocketing farm bankruptcies, struggling manufacturers, and Main Street businesses considering shutting down forever, “I’m in support of the President’s policies.”
Read below for a recap of a (non-exhaustive) year of Wisconsinites paying the price for the Trump-Tiffany tariff-taxes:
MJS: Kohl’s, Other Wisconsin Companies Suing For Trump Tariff Refunds
“Before the Supreme Court struck down many of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, 10 Wisconsin companies were already suing the federal government to recoup those fees. Starting in December, those companies, including such well-known names as Kohl’s and Milwaukee Tool, filed lawsuits in the U.S. Court of International Trade seeking refunds of tariffs the companies paid […] Shoe maker Weyco Group paid “millions of dollars” in tariffs in 2025, said CEO Tom Florsheim. “When they came out with the tariffs, it was very, very high tariffs on all the places where we make shoes, and I literally felt like I had been punched in the stomach,” Florsheim told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “It really threw our whole business model off,” Florsheim said.”
WPR: Farm bankruptcies tick up in Wisconsin, US
“In Wisconsin, there were 16 bankruptcy filings in 2025. By comparison, there were two filings in both 2024 and in 2023 […] At the same time, producers are paying more for the labor and supplies they need to operate. “That shows up as a low or a negative margin, where you’re spending more than you’re bringing in,” Mitchell said. “You can only do that for so long.”
[…] Mitchell said inflation means farmers need to borrow more to plant crops or pay for necessary equipment, at the same time that interest rates have remained higher than just a few years ago.”
WPR: Trump Campaigned On Lowering Prices, But Many Wisconsinites Still Feel Pinched
“Oshkosh resident Randy Dillon, a 67-year-old who plans to retire later this year, said he believes household costs are “getting out of control.” “The things I used to see on sale ain’t there no more,” he said. “I don’t know who to blame. It’s not getting easier for people like me that are about to be on a fixed income.” Dale Kooyenga, president of the Metro Milwaukee Association of Commerce, said businesses have been able to adjust to tariffs but consumers are still feeling the effects. “You see this in food prices, for example,” he said. “There’s no doubt that there’s an economic hit that’s related to the tariffs.”
WBAY: Appleton Business Owner Speaks Out On Tariffs In The Nation’s Capital
“Some business owners say unpredictable trade policy has forced them to make difficult choices just to keep their doors open. That includes Hugo Ramirez Rivas, owner of ice cream shop Frio Mexican Treats in Appleton. Rivas imports his cups from China. Now, because of the tariffs, he says delivery expenses are up $200 each month, and he’s raised prices on some items and paused hiring.”
WPR: After Closures, Milwaukee Restaurateurs Sound Alarm About Rising Costs, Decline In Sales
“Volp and other Milwaukee restaurant owners say the increased cost of goods, impact of tariffs and the impact of the economy on customers have all contributed to hardships for the businesses. Mia Le Tendre, owner and chef at Strange Town on Milwaukee’s east side, said 2025 has been a “dismal” year for business. “Our sales are a fraction of what they used to be, and essentially all of our costs have gone up,” Le Tendre said. “The cost of goods has skyrocketed. Most of our wines are affected by tariffs. The cost of our energy has gone up. It just seems like everything is more expensive.” “And we have fewer customers than ever, because I think customers are also experiencing that price crunch,” she added.”
Spectrum News: Wisconsin Entrepreneur Says Tariffs Are Hurting His Small Business
“But he said the company has felt the effect of President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. ‘Our customers have such uncertainty that they’re placing fewer orders, lower quantities, less revenue for us, and it’s created uncertainty in our business as well,’ Bothe said. […] ‘U.S. manufacturing has struggled, and it’s time for the government to step up and support us,’ Bothe said. ‘Not everyone realizes how critical these manufactured goods are to our society, our economy, and all the things that protect us and provide defense and security.’”
Reuters: China Trade Spat Threatens Wisconsin’s ‘Napa Valley’ Of Ginseng
““Nearly all U.S. ginseng is produced in Marathon County, Wisconsin […] But now, U.S. trade tensions with Beijing, a sluggish Chinese economy and strong competition from cheaper Canadian supplies are squeezing the niche industry that generated $14.7 million in U.S. exports to China in 2024, according to Chinese customs data […] Costs for labor, fertilizer and other inputs “are through the roof, so we’re not surviving,” Heil said. ‘We’re just kind of slipping away.’ […] The current trade tensions have stalled demand for Wisconsin ginseng, forcing growers like Joe Heil and Will Hsu to pack up their dried ginseng roots and try to wait out the crisis.”
Spectrum News: Wisconsin hardwood company seeks tariff relief
“Brown said that 30% of Kretz Lumber Company’s sales were to China before President Donald Trump’s first trade war in 2018. The president imposed steep tariffs on imports from China, which resulted in China retaliating with a 25% tax on exports from the U.S. The tit-for-tat levies took a toll on the hardwood industry. “Anyone who is, who was, sawing and selling red oak in 2018 was losing money—a lot of money,” Brown said. Now, Brown says he’s exporting no product to China. “Today, it’s zero [percent],” Brown said. “[The] retaliatory tariffs that they put on our products makes it very difficult for anyone to be able to afford.” According to the Hardwood Federation, an industry group, China bought half of America’s hardwood lumber exports prior to the 2018 trade war.”
Spectrum News: Soybean farmers uncertain about future, tariff policy
“We don’t know what to do right now, whether it’s markets, our inputs, our equipment. All of that’s affected. And so we just wanted to know what’s going on as we move forward,” Rebout said […] Rebout, a soybean farmer and president of the Wisconsin Soybean Association, has been pinched by President Donald Trump’s tariffs. China, historically the biggest buyer of American soybeans, was not a customer for a chunk of the last year in protest of his tariffs. A deal has been negotiated for China to start buying again – but the American Soybean Association said it’s less than prior volumes. Rebout also believes the Department of Agriculture’s $11 billion bail out last December won’t make farmers whole again.”
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