Michigan officials say Trump’s trade war is raising prices. Voters say they feel it.

A new state analysis details widespread cost increases tied to tariffs, as Michigan voters report feeling the strain in their grocery bills, housing budgets, and daily expenses.

MICHIGAN—Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office released a sweeping, multi-agency report last week that lays out the real-world consequences of the Trump administration’s trade war.

The findings span the state’s agriculture sector, housing market, manufacturing base, and the state’s own infrastructure projects. And the bottom line is clear: Tariffs are driving up costs and slowing growth across the state, and more and more Michiganders are beginning to notice.

“Families and businesses are all facing rising prices and constant uncertainty because of our chaotic national tariff strategy,” Whitmer said last week. “Tariffs are raising costs, causing supply chain issues, and creating a lot more uncertainty for people and future job-creating projects.”

A statewide poll released on Friday also found that Michiganders are overwhelmingly linking their rising grocery bills to President Donald Trump’s tariffs, with majorities across party lines saying the president’s trade policies are now directly fueling price hikes at the local level.

Taken together, the report and the new survey findings offer one of the clearest snapshots yet of how federal policies are beginning to reshape Michigan’s economy, as well as how Michigan voters are interpreting those changes as they look ahead to next year’s midterm elections.

Agriculture takes a hit

Michigan’s food and agriculture sectors—which reportedly contribute nearly $126 billion a year to the state’s economy and support more than 800,000 jobs—were among the hardest hit, according to the new multi-agency state report released by Whitmer’s office last week.

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President Donald Trump’s trade war is crushing Michigan’s soybean farmers. 👀

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Across the board, farm exports have cratered since the tariffs took hold. State officials say retaliatory tariffs from other countries have also dried up key overseas markets, leaving growers with fewer buyers and thinner margins: 

• Wheat exports are down 89% compared to last year. 
• Fresh cherry exports are down 62%.
• Fresh apple exports are down 58%.
• Soybean meal exports are down 46%.

Grocery bills rising

At the same time, the costs of getting food from the farm to the dinner table are rising sharply. Processors who rely on imported spices have seen prices spike, meaning that even basic Thanksgiving staples like apple pie, stuffing, and cranberry dishes could cost more this year.

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Michigan’s most popular caffeine fix is now collateral damage in Trump’s trade war.👀

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Food packaging costs are also up as much as 12%, raising the cost of canned goods. And overall grocery prices are up 3.6% this year because of tariffs, according to the new state report.

For low-income households, especially those squeezed from disrupted Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, that can translate into real hardship. Families in the bottom 10-20% income bracket are projected to lose as much as 5% of their disposable income due to tariff-driven inflation, the report found. 

Housing costs jump

Michigan’s housing sector is also taking a hit amid Trump’s trade war. 

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority found that about 7% of the materials needed for homebuilding—lumber, drywall, steel, appliances—come from foreign sources. 

And with tariffs on many of those materials in place, the cost of building a home is shooting upward. Estimates from the National Association of Home Builders suggest that tariff-related price increases have added roughly $11,000 to the cost of constructing a new home. 

State officials said that pressure also ripples across the market, with higher prices for new construction making “the market for existing housing even tighter,” the report states. 

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It’s not income tax. It’s not sales tax. It’s tariffs—and President Donald Trump’s latest move is making them even worse. Here’s how the changes are affecting Michiganders:

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The report found that inflation and tariff-driven cost increases will also leave more Michigan families—especially low-income households—with less money for rent, utilities, and other essentials, which will ultimately lead to more eviction and homelessness across the state.  

And because housing construction is one of Michigan’s major economic engines, a slowdown in homebuilding could drag down broader growth as well. Plus, state officials say once housing prices climb, they rarely come back down. According to the report: “Tariffs warp prices paid by developers and ultimately homebuyers and renters for a long time.” 

Infrastructure costs spike 

The new report found Michigan’s infrastructure—like roads, bridges, parks, and state facilities—haven’t been spared from the impacts of Trump’s tariffs either.

The Department of Transportation estimates that tariffs could raise the cost of fixing the state’s roads and bridges by up to $168 million. With inflation, that could climb to up to $218 million.

The rising cost of materials is also already affecting planned state projects. The Department of Technology, Management, and Budget says it’s seeing higher procurement costs for several state projects, including a new state psychiatric hospital and several environmental projects.

Contractors also warn that higher material costs and supply chain delays are making long-planned improvements more difficult to complete on time and within budget, the report found. Parks are paying more for equipment; state fleets are more expensive to maintain; even outdoor recreation gear is getting pricier, which is squeezing small businesses and suppliers.

Manufacturing feels the pain

Perhaps no sector of Michigan’s economy has felt the combined weight of tariffs and supply chain volatility more acutely than Michigan’s manufacturing industry. In the new report, state officials pointed to a series of recent economic blows tied directly to federal trade policy. 

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He promised “America First.” Michiganders got pink slips.

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Among them:

• GM has laid off 3,400 auto workers, including 1,200 people at its all-electric Factory Zero in Detroit, citing a “changing regulatory environment” under the Trump administration.  
• Ford said tariffs will cost the company $1 billion and the company recently took out a $3 billion line of credit to protect itself amid broader economic uncertainty.
• Detroit Axle, a Michigan-based auto parts manufacturer, closed its Ferndale warehouse and laid off more than 100 workers as a direct result of Trump’s tariffs.
• Howard Miller Co., a Zeeland clockmaker that operated for nearly a century, also closed its doors, with owners pointing to rising costs tied to tariffs and federal trade policy.

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WATCH: This week, political correspondent Kyle Kaminski is in Williamston—talking with the owner of a small shop that’s caught in the crossfire of President Donald Trump’s trade war.

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Voters connect the dots

A new EPIC-MRA survey released this week suggests that voters aren’t just feeling the higher costs at the checkout; they’re beginning to connect the dots on what’s causing them. 

Among 600 likely Michigan voters:

• 64% said Trump’s tariffs are driving up prices.
• Only 2% said tariffs have lowered prices.
• 51% said the national economy has gotten worse over the past year.

The partisan breakdown was striking:

• 92% of Democrats said tariffs are raising costs.
• 73% of independents agreed.
• Even 34% of Republicans said tariffs are pushing prices upward.

Trump’s overall job performance numbers were also in the gutter, with 51% of voters giving him a negative rating. Pollster Bernie Porn said the findings suggest tariffs could become a defining political issue in 2026 as families weigh rising costs against the promises of federal policy.

“The economic numbers and the tariffs…have the potential to have a big impact on the election,” he told reporters, noting that the numbers “do not bode well for Republicans.”

The bottom line

Between rising grocery bills, higher housing costs, pricier road repairs, and manufacturing layoffs, this new statewide report shows how Trump’s federal tariff policies are reaching deep into everyday life and reshaping the state’s economy in ways residents can see and feel.

Farmers are losing markets. Homebuyers are getting priced out. State projects are slowing down. And workers in auto plants and small businesses alike are facing growing uncertainty.

Now, with the US Supreme Court actively weighing the legality of Trump’s trade authority, the future of Michigan’s economy may hinge on decisions that are being made far beyond its borders. What’s clear today: The costs are piling up and Michigan families are paying the tab.

“While I cannot change the national tariff rate, I will continue advocating for Michigan every chance I get so we can keep lowering costs for families,” Whitmer said in a press release last week. “Let’s fight to grow our economy by pursuing commonsense trade policies to bring jobs home without making crops, construction, or crucial infrastructure projects more expensive.” 

READ MORE: Trump’s tariffs cost Michigan another 300 manufacturing jobs

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