LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants Washington to drop its tariffs on food and pay Michiganders back for what they have cost at the grocery store. She put the request in writing Tuesday, Nov. 10, addressing it to Scott Bessent, who runs the U.S. Treasury.
The governor asked the administration to roll back the new food tariffs put in place in 2025 and 2026 and to reimburse state residents for the higher food bills that followed.
Her central number came from the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, which estimated that Michigan households have carried an average tariff burden of $6,485 apiece since January 2025. Her office said that is the heaviest load of any state.
The letter also pointed to grocery prices climbing 2.4% in 2025 and to damage in trade with Canada, Michigan biggest trading partner. The letter said exports to Canada dropped 12.3% last year, which she blamed on the tariffs and sudden swings in federal policy.
The governor also used the letter to highlight state steps aimed at living costs, including free pre-K, free school meals and tax cuts for older residents and working households that top $1 billion.
The request comes in the final weeks of her second term; Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is now governor-elect.
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