Harrisburg, PA – As federal tariffs drive up costs for Pennsylvania families and small businesses, Governor Josh Shapiro is offering a clear contrast — investing in economic growth, supporting entrepreneurs, and delivering the stability and predictability businesses need to succeed.
While Washington imposes new tariffs that inject more chaos and uncertainty into the economy, Governor Shapiro is keeping his promise to grow Pennsylvania’s economy and reduce costs for consumers and employers. His Administration is focused on revitalizing main streets, supporting local businesses, and creating jobs across rural, suburban, and urban communities alike.
In an April appearance on The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle on MSNBC, Governor Shapiro spoke out about the negative impacts of tariffs on Pennsylvania’s economy — explaining how they make everything from manufacturing equipment to everyday goods more expensive and harder to access. The Governor made clear that these federal decisions are hurting small businesses, disrupting trade, and slowing growth at a time when the Commonwealth is otherwise seeing momentum.
While federal tariffs increase the cost of doing business, Governor Shapiro is doing the opposite — delivering on his commitment to build a stronger, more competitive economy by:
Investing in small businesses and local main streets to drive local growth and economic recovery;
Cutting taxes and red tape for small businesses to make it easier to start and grow in Pennsylvania;
Backing farmers, manufacturers, and entrepreneurs with resources and support to weather supply chain disruptions and rising material costs;
Building long-term workforce development programs to prepare Pennsylvanians for the jobs of today and tomorrow.
These actions are part of the Shapiro Administration’s 10-Year Economic Development Strategy — a bold roadmap to attract new industries and create jobs and economic growth across the Commonwealth.
Watch Governor Shapiro explain the real-world impact of federal tariffs during his visit to Fegley’s Brew Works in the Lehigh Valley this spring, as he talks with MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle about how tariffs are creating economic strain, driving up costs, and hurting small businesses in Pennsylvania, or read the transcript below.
TRANSCRIPT
Ruhle: “Whether you're talking big business here or this little brewery that we're in, how will this impact businesses and lives?”
Governor Shapiro: “So let's talk about this brewery, right? Pennsylvania, very proud of the fact that we are second in the nation in the number of craft breweries.
“Now I'm competitive as hell. I want us to be first, but this is big business for Pennsylvania, big important businesses for our main streets, right?
“So let's take the beer you drink here out of a can. That can is subject now to a 20 or 25 percent tariff. The malted barley that goes into making the beer is subject to a tariff, and the vats that you use to brew the beer, they're made of steel, they're subject to a tariff.
“There's no way these small businesses that line our main streets, that serve us these great craft beers are going to be able to not pass those cost increases along to consumers.
“So from the beer you drink to the cars you buy to the Harleys that you want to ride, things are going to cost more for Pennsylvania companies and Pennsylvania consumers.”
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