LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer spoke Tuesday about the impact of federal policies on Michigan’s economy, saying the state is more exposed to potential hardship than others.
The governor highlighted the impact of tariffs on Michigan, saying that the state is heavily impacted by charges on auto parts and agricultural products.
“When the US catches a cold, Michigan gets the flu — and right now, there are undeniable signs of an ailing economy,” Whitmer said. “Stubborn inflation, stagnating wage growth, plummeting credit scores and debt piling up,”
Whitmer also says that the unpredictability of rapidly changing tariff policy is causing businesses to pull back from their US investments.
Multiple projects in southern parts of the state have scrapped investment plans at least in part due to current economic factors.
One $63 billion project in Genesee County would’ve created up to 10,000 jobs — but Sandisk, who was set to fund the project, canceled their plans this summer.
That runs contrary to the Trump administration’s goals of bringing in new manufacturing jobs domestically.
“We know that uncertainty undermines our ability to create those jobs,” Whitmer said. “Uncertainty makes it difficult, if not impossible, for businesses to plan ahead. Uncertainty pushes family finances to the brink. Uncertainty costs us time and money, opportunities and jobs.”
Whitmer also says that free-trade agreements like NAFTA and the USMCA have resulted in significant domestic job losses in Michigan — but she says that businesses need to know how their investments will play out over multiple years, which is complicated by shifting tariff policies.
“This is a man-made storm of uncertainty that hits Michigan hard,” she said.