Whitmer Seeks End to Michigan Food Tariffs

Michigan food sellers and grocery-dependent households face tariff costs that a state request now asks federal officials to lift and reimburse.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in International Trade

Whitmer Seeks End to Michigan Food Tariffs

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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has asked the U.S. Treasury Department to end tariffs on food products and reimburse Michigan residents for higher food costs. In a letter sent to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Whitmer cited an average tariff burden of $6,485 per Michigan household since January 2025.

Why it matters

Michigan's grocery and food-sourcing businesses face a politically contested cost increase that is now being pressed at the federal level. The request turns a supply-chain expense into a state-versus-federal policy fight, which could shape pricing, sourcing and cross-border trade decisions for food operators in the state.

The National Taxpayers Union Foundation estimates Michigan households have borne an average tariff burden of $6,485 since January 2025, the highest of any state according to Whitmer's office. Grocery prices rose 2.4% in 2025, and exports to Canada fell 12.3% over the same year.

The players

Gretchen Whitmer

Governor of Michigan, a Democrat who leads the state executive branch and has pressed federal officials on the economic effects of trade policy.

Scott Bessent

U.S. Treasury Secretary, who oversees the department that administers federal tariff-related policy and would receive the request for relief.

The details

Whitmer's letter asks the Treasury Department to end tariffs on food products and to reimburse Michigan residents for the added food costs those tariffs produce. The request rests on tariff burden data from the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, which Whitmer's office says ranks Michigan highest nationally. The letter also links the tariff regime to damage in the U.S. relationship with Canada, pointing to a 12.3% drop in exports to that country in 2025.

January 2025: Start of the period over which Michigan's tariff burden is measured.
2025: Grocery prices rose 2.4% and exports to Canada fell 12.3% over the year.
November 10, 2026: Whitmer sent her letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on a Tuesday.

Market Landscape

Michigan's exposure reflects its position as a trade-dependent state with strong ties to Canada. The request arrives as the state's export and food-cost picture is being measured against federal tariff policy.

Michigan food operators should model the possibility of continued tariff-driven input costs while federal relief remains unresolved. Procurement and finance teams should track any Treasury response, as a policy change could alter landed costs for imported food.

The takeaway

The central operating question is whether federal tariff relief materializes or whether food-cost pressure persists into the next budgeting cycle. Michigan food businesses should watch the Treasury Department's response and build contingency pricing and sourcing scenarios into their planning.