Tariffs Reshape Michigan Border Town Politics

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. — In this border community on Michigan’s rural Upper Peninsula, the escalating trade war between the United States and Canada is not an abstract policy debate. It is visible in the declining traffic across the International Bridge, in the empty parking spaces at local shops, and in the frustration of residents who voted for President Trump but now question the economic toll of his tariff strategy.

Commercial and passenger traffic across the bridge connecting Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, with its sister city in Ontario has fallen by about a quarter since Trump’s second term began, with 270,000 fewer crossings last year — nearly a 24% drop from 2024. The International Bridge Administration estimates businesses on the Michigan side are missing out on $62.7 million in lost revenue, while the broader Sault area lost at least $82.9 million in local spending.

A Community Caught Between Loyalty and Economics

For residents of the region known as the Upper Peninsula — or “UP” — the trade dispute cuts deep. The federal government reports that over a third of all Michigan exports go to Canada, totaling more than $21 billion last year, making the state uniquely vulnerable to tariff escalation.

Ben Rahilly, who owns an appliance store, gift shop, furniture store and concrete business in nearby Newberry, says the costs are mounting daily.

“Prices are going up. Our shipping charges are getting more and more every day,” Rahilly told NPR. “The cost of just goods is going up, so it’s making it tougher on our profit margins. Trying to keep it small town, small prices so people can afford to keep shopping with us.”

Rahilly, who leans conservative and voted for Trump, is blunt about his frustration: “You got, right now, our president in a pissing match with Canada. Well, we do a lot of business with Canada, surprising enough.”

Despite his concerns, Rahilly refuses to rule out voting for a Democrat — a sentiment that reflects the complex political dynamics of a region that has voted Republican in recent elections. The last Democrat to represent the UP in Congress was Bart Stupak, who left office in 2011.

Tariff Escalation Hits Home

Trump’s decision to impose 50% tariffs on nearly $20 billion in Canadian goods took effect August 22 after U.S.-Canada trade talks collapsed. The tariffs target Canadian products including alcoholic beverages, dairy products, cement and hockey equipment, as NPR reported.

Canada has pledged dollar-for-dollar retaliation. Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced countertariffs of 15%, 25% and 50% on a range of U.S. goods — including steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, and electronics — set to take effect September 8, as NPR reported.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has described the situation in stark terms, saying at a press conference that “you’re at war when you get attacked. We got attacked.”

For Tony Haller, executive director of the Sault Area Chamber of Commerce, the tension between the twin cities is palpable.

“Yeah, I think there’s certainly a sense of frustration between both communities,” Haller said. “Speaking from Sault Michigan’s point of view, you know we’re pretty solid all year round, but because of the bridge traffic being down, I know our businesses aren’t quite as busy as they should be, and so we’re hoping that when this all gets settled, that we’ll go back to some sort of normalcy.”

Voters Weigh the Trade-Offs

The economic pain is translating into political complexity. While Michigan is home to a competitive U.S. Senate race that could be pivotal to the balance of power come November, this region has most recently voted for Republicans, as NPR reported.

Yet for many conservative-leaning voters in the region, the frustration with tariffs does not automatically translate into support for Democrats. Todd Campbell, a trucking company owner from Knoxville, Tennessee, visiting the Soo Locks, said he’s unhappy with the trade war but won’t “vote blue.”

“I’m not real happy about that. I’m a more conservative person, but I’m not happy with the way that’s going, to be honest with you,” Campbell said. “That doesn’t mean I’m lockstep with every decision they make. I think both sides are really out for themselves, and we all get caught in the middle. And this is a good example of it.”

Homer Coleman, an Independent trucker from metro Detroit, sees the relationship between the two countries as familial. “Canada and the United States are sort of like I would say brothers, you know,” he said. “He [Trump] seemed like he wants to pick a fight with everybody, and he shouldn’t be picking a fight with Canada of all people.”

Don Laban, a retired engineer from Muskegon, takes a different view, applauding the president for evening out trade with Canada while criticizing Democrats for not offering a more substantive alternative. “What did the Democrats have to offer me, other than Orange Man bad?” Laban told NPR. “That’s all they could say last time. You know, don’t tell me who not to vote for. Tell me why I should vote for you.”

A Silent Congressman in a Struggling District

A ProPublica investigation published in July documented how the tariff war has decimated border crossings and business in the Upper Peninsula, while noting that U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, the Republican who represents the region, has been virtually silent on the issue. The only references to Sault Ste. Marie in the news items on his website during Trump’s second term are a mention of an infrastructure project and a February 2025 letter to the president about a purported member of a Venezuelan gang crossing the border.

ProPublica reached out to Bergman, his office and his campaign multiple times for comment on what’s happening in his district and received no response. The congressman, who is endorsed by Trump in an upcoming contested primary, has not appeared to have hosted a public town hall in the district since his first year in office.

What’s Next

With Canada’s countertariffs set to take effect September 8, the trade war shows no signs of abating before the November midterm elections. For residents of Sault Ste. Marie, the stakes are immediate and personal.

As state Sen. John Damoose, a Republican who represents the area, told ProPublica: “I’ve spoken to business after business up in the Sault Ste. Marie area, and in the eastern Upper Peninsula, and they’re all feeling the pressure from this. Mackinac Island’s feeling the pressure, everybody is feeling the heat from this deterioration in our relationship with Canada. This is our best friend in the entire world.”

Participants gather for the International Bridge Walk in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, an annual tradition celebrating the connection between the twin cities.

As the election approaches, the question for many voters in this border community is whether their economic concerns will outweigh their partisan loyalties — a calculation that could help determine control of the U.S. Senate.