Locals react to President Trump imposing tariffs
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - President Donald Trump's recent promise of tariffs on imports from Canada have some local winter visitors worried.
President trump and the Canadian Prime Minister have agreed on a deal that will pause the tariffs going into effect for one month, a deal much like Mexico's.
"We just feel that we can’t afford that," said Canadian visitor Helen O'Donnel.
President Trump originally imposed a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports. Energy resources from Canada would have also received a 10% tariff.
Yuma gets plenty of winter visitors from Canada during this time of the year.
We spoke to one visitor who says she's concerned.
"It's not good because it’s really going to affect us, whether we come back to on a holiday down here because of dollar change and just everything," explained O'Donnel.
But Arizona State Representative Michael Carbone says the tariffs are well worth it.
"There is no price to public safety and so I think the Arizonans, the Americans, they're okay. If it means we got to pay more out of our pockets to be protected," explained Rep. Carbone.
Yuma City Council member Karen Watts says she is against the tariffs because she believes they will negatively impact Yuma.
"I think we will see a lot less Canadians coming to our area. That'll affect greatly our economy and the Yuma County really depends...we almost double in population due to our winter visitors," said Watts.
Canada was also planning on imposing its own 25% tariff on more than $100 billion of U.S. goods.