Welch Joined on Capitol Hill by Allison Hope of the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association

Comes as the Trump Administration implemented sweeping 25% tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Allison Hope, Executive Director of the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association, today joined Senate Democrats for a press conference on Capitol Hill with Americans from across the country who are

being hurt by Trump Administration policies—from businesses hit by tariffs to veterans who were laid off by Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) to cancer researchers.  

Allison Hope, Executive Director of the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association spoke about how Trump’s Trade War will hurt Vermont’s maple industry: 

“Vermont makes about 50-51% of the U.S. production of pure maple syrup, and we have Canadian partners across the border. In the past 20 years, Vermont’s production rates have grown 500% and a 25% Canadian tariff on maple equipment—most of which comes across the border, because that’s where most maple syrup is made—on the Canadian imports that come into Vermont will have a staggering effect on Vermont’s producers, who not only are agricultural farmers, but they are foresters, and so they keep a large swath of Vermont forested. 

“I think that our Canadian counterparts are a huge part of our trade. The U.S. can’t supply all ofthe maple syrup for retail in the United States, and so we bring into Vermont —and other areas of the U.S.—Canadian bulk syrup. When that price goes up, it affects the shelf price at retail, and those larger contracts for blended Vermont, U.S., and Canadian maple syrup—those contracts change for cents on the dollar. And so, the end result of that will be a potential stagnation of production in Vermont and also a loss of potential shelf space at a time when it’s really hard and really expensive to get it back,” Hope said.  

After the event, Senator Welch emphasized the importance of making sure the Trump Administration hears directly from those who are impacted by Trump’s misguided trade policies: 

“These tariffs are really going to hurt our economy in Vermont, and the impacts will be far-reaching. President Trump is singlehandedly raising costs for Vermonters—from the food on our table, to our energy bills, to the materials our home construction companies and manufacturers need. It’s important that the Trump Administration and my colleagues across the aisle hear directly from those who are impacted and that they drop this misguided plan.” 

Watch a livestream of the press conference below: 

Vermont’s maple industry—as well as farms and businesses across Vermont—are bracing for the economic fallout of Trump’s 25% tariff on Canada, which went into effect today. Sugar makers expect the cost of Canadian-made sugaring equipment to dramatically increase. Bulk maple sales to major retailers like Costco, Target, and Whole Foods rely on both U.S. and Canadian producers and most of the equipment needed to produce syrup is manufactured in Canada.   

Last week, Senator Welch expressed opposition to the Trump Tariffs after voting against the nominationof Jamieson Greer for United States Trade Representative. He also joined Senator Jeanne Shaheen’s (D-N.H.) Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act, which would shield American businesses and consumers from rising prices imposed by tariffs on imported goods into the United States. The bill would keep costs down for imported goods by limiting the authority of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)—which allows a President to immediately place unlimited tariffs after declaring a national emergency—while preserving IEEPA’s use for sanctions and other tools.