Whitmer asks Trump administration to end food tariffs and reimburse Michigan residents
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is asking the federal government to end new tariffs on food and to reimburse state residents for higher grocery costs over the past two years.
In a letter sent Tuesday to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Whitmer wrote, "I ask that you end the new food tariffs this administration has levied in 2025 and 2026, and reimburse Michiganders for the increased cost of food."
The letter did not specify how much reimbursement she is seeking. Whitmer wrote that Michigan residents were hit with the "highest tariff burden in the nation."
She cited research from the National Taxpayers Union Foundation indicating that Michigan residents incurred an overall $6,485 per household in expenses because of the new federal tariff policies. That is the highest in the nation and is primarily driven by the automotive industry, the study said. By comparison, Indiana residents saw an average impact of $3,472 per household, and Ohio residents $2,668.
"These costs are clearly on display in the checkout line at the grocery store," Whitmer said.
Whitmer said she has done what she can as governor to lower costs, pointing to free pre-K and school meals and more than $1 billion in tax cuts for seniors and working families. She said she has pushed for "a smarter, strategic trade policy" in her dealings with the federal government, including with President Trump. But without "tangible relief from the federal government, Michigan families will continue to bear the costs," she said.
Tariff impact on Michigan
Whitmer said she asked state agencies this year to research how tariffs affect Michigan's economy.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reported that consumer food prices rose 3.1% from May 2025 to May 2026. That includes a 6.2% increase in meat, poultry and fish prices and a 6.1% increase in fruit and vegetable prices.
A Michigan State University report found that tariffs led to an average 3.1% increase in food costs during 2025 alone.
The impact was not felt evenly, MSU said. Bananas are nearly all imported, so they were subject to import tariffs. Canned food cost more because of tariffs on imported steel used to make the cans. Coffee prices rose nearly 20%, because Brazil, the largest supplier to the U.S., was hit with higher tariffs. Ground beef prices went up 15% in a year, MSU said.
MSU also said Michigan agricultural exports fell 2% in 2025 compared with the year before. Exports to nearby Canada fell 12.3%.
Whitmer, a Democrat, is term-limited. Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat who has been Michigan's secretary of state for the past eight years, won the Nov. 3 election and will become governor in January.
The tricky question of refunds to consumers
CBS News reported in August that some refunds for tariffs imposed under the Trump administration had started going to businesses. There was public pressure for companies to pass the money on to consumers, but U.S. Customs and Border Protection can issue tariff refunds only to the importer of record.
Some businesses said they would refund the difference to consumers if it could be calculated. The Tax Foundation said consumers would realistically recover only a small share of the overall higher costs.