Schumer: Trump’s Tariffs Are A Tax Increase Being Paid Out Of Western New Yorkers’ Pockets 

In Niagara Falls, just after Trump recklessly imposed his 35% tariff increase on Canada, with more sweeping tariffs set to go into effect this week, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer stood with Western NY business leaders who are on the frontlines of plummeting summer tourism and rising prices to say enough is enough. Schumer said Western NY families and small businesses are being hit harder than nearly anywhere else in the country, with tourism dropping a staggering nearly 975,000 travelers across the U.S.-Canada border since Trump took office and costs increasing for families by nearly $2,400 a year.

Schumer announced Democrats will force a vote in the Senate to put an end to Trump’s ill-conceived cost-raising trade war with Canada that is killing the summer tourism economy, threatening thousands of jobs and Main Streets in the Buffalo-Niagara region, and called on NY House Republicans to stand with the families & small businesses that are footing the bill for these costly Trump tariffs.

“Buffalo and Niagara Falls are on the frontlines of Trump’s destructive trade war. Western NY families and small businesses are paying the price for these chaotic tariffs out of their wallets, whether it be in higher costs at the grocery store or fewer tourists on our Main Streets. Trump’s tariffs are a tax increase on Western NY families, plain and simple, and we are here to say enough is enough,” said Senator Schumer. “This trade war is driving away our closest ally and key trading partner, Canada, and, since Trump has taken office, we have seen nearly 975,000 fewer travelers crossing the border. If this pattern continues, it will be a death sentence for restaurants, hotels, and shops across Upstate NY. That’s why, when the Senate returns, I will force a vote to end this reckless trade war with Canada that is crushing Western NY’s economy. Local businesses can’t wait for so-called ‘trade deals’ with no details or live in fear that Trump will change his mind the next week. Republicans know how unpopular these tariffs are with the American people who are footing the bill – we need NY House Republicans to join us and stand up to Trump and stand up for NY’s Main Streets. It is time we put an end to Trump’s reckless and costly trade war once and for all.”

Schumer said Canadians are canceling trips to the United States because of Trump’s tariff war and his insulting threats to annex Canada as the 51st state, hurting Main Street businesses that rely on a busy summer tourism season and are already slammed by higher prices, with Western NY hit first and hardest. Every month since Trump took office, tourism has declined across all the major bridge ports of entry between Western NY and Canada, compared to last year. according to CBP. Below is a month-by-month breakdown of the drop in land crossings between Western Ny and Canada:

Canadian tourism is nearly 40% of the overall tourism economy in Buffalo, and across Western New York, businesses are seeing the impacts of fewer Canadian tourists and panicking that it will get worse. For example, hotel occupancy in Niagara Falls is down more than 7 percent compared to last year. In Erie County, hotels have had major decreases in revenue generation for the first half of the year. In 2024, the hotel tax generated almost $5.68 million in revenue. However, this year, hotels generated only $5.30 million, a decrease of nearly 7% from last year.

The decline in Canadian tourism is also hammering local businesses, especially during the busy summer travel season. For example, this July, ShopCraft, a gift shop and gallery in the City of Buffalo that features work from artists within a 90-mile radius, has seen a nearly 18% drop in revenue compared to last year. ShopCraft’s website analytics further reveal a 39% decline in Canadian online traffic in the last two months. Similarly, the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls USA is experiencing 30% less foot traffic than last year, with various stores in the mall seeing at least double-digit sales decreases.

Western New York attractions are also facing similar challenges as a result of Trump’s Trade War. The Aquarium of Niagara, which opened a major expansion in 2024 designed to enhance the summer visitor experience and attract more tourists, instead saw an 18% decrease in attendance in July. Artpark, a popular event venue in Lewiston, is projecting at least a 60% total loss of Canadian visitors, equating to a minimum of $150,000 in lost revenue for the nonprofit organization, and even more for the surrounding restaurants and small businesses in Lewiston. The loss of cross-border business is rippling through locally owned shops and attractions that rely heavily on Canadian traffic during this peak travel season.

Trump’s tariffs are also hurting local businesses that depend on materials from Canada. For example, BNP Empowered Print, a local print shop based in Buffalo, prints newsletters and mailers for major companies in Western New York like Tops Friendly Markets, Valu Home Centers, and Pet Supplies Plus. BNP purchases all of its paper from Canada, and it predicts an annualized cost increase for materials such as ink and printing plates of more than $225,000 due to Trump’s tariffs.

“A significant element of our economy relies on tourism,” said Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino. “These actions taken by the federal government to develop “trade deals” is having a significant negative impact on our City, resulting in business and employment reductions. Our City needs the voices in federal government, to join Senator Schumer in his call to re-examine the use of tariffs as a trade negotiations tactic.”

“Trump’s tariffs are raising costs on Erie County residents, and his attacks on Canadian sovereignty are affecting cross-border tourism, thereby hurting our western New York economy,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “We see it first-hand, with a nearly 18% drop in local bridge traffic entering the United States in 2025. Instead of attacking our nation’s closest ally and number one trading partner in Canada, President Trump should work with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to mutually grow our inter-connected economies. I join Senator Schumer in calling for end to this needless trade war with Canada and then begin restoration of the prior friendly relations enjoyed by the US and Canada, a relationship built upon mutual respect, especially for each nation’s sovereignty.”

“As the senior senator from a key U.S. border state, Senator Schumer’s leadership in spotlighting the troubling shift in travel sentiment from our Canadian neighbors is both timely and appreciated,” said Visit Buffalo Niagara President and CEO Patrick Kaler. “Visit Buffalo Niagara applauds his commitment to strengthening the cross-border ties that are so vital to our region’s economy and spirit.”

Trump’s tariffs are creating uncertainty for families and jobs. Tariffs will raise costs for families, with households with lower incomes hit hardest. According to the Budget Lab at Yale, Trump’s tariffs are expected to cost families nearly $2,400 every year.

“As an immigrant who built a business by following the system, I’ve seen tariffs quietly drive up costs and stall growth. In Niagara Falls, they don’t just impact balance sheets – they delay jobs, slow investment, and hurt momentum. I respect the office of the President and I appreciate Senator Schumer’s ongoing efforts to highlight how Western New York communities are paying the price. Today we need smart solutions that protect American enterprise at home and abroad without punishing those of us fighting to build a stronger tomorrow,” said Rupal Hospitality and Element Development Group President Nirel Patel.

“The unnecessary trade war with Canada is creating significant stress on our Canadian print business, as we currently absorb 25% retaliatory tariffs in response to the Trump Administration’s actions,” said BNP Empowered Print President Thomas Majerski. “We fully support Senator Schumer’s efforts to put an end to this extremely harmful policy with our closest ally and number one trading partner.”

Schumer continues to be one of the leading advocates in Congress to end this unnecessary, damaging trade war with Canada that is decimating Upstate NY’s economy, tourism, small businesses, and local jobs. The senator announced he will use a special fast-track process to force a vote when the Senate returns to end Trump’s destructive trade war with Canada.

“I’m all for addressing trade imbalances, but Trump’s chaotic and ill-conceived tariffs are undermining these goals. Turning our allies like Canada against us is devastating Western New York’s economy in ways we haven’t seen since the height of the pandemic,” concluded Schumer.

Earlier this year, the Senate passed a bipartisan resolution to end tariffs on Canada. The senator said small businesses in Western NY can’t wait for so-called “trade deals” with no details and said NY House Republicans must stand up for Upstate NY businesses and working families footing the bill for Trump’s tariff tax by taking up this resolution and passing it as well. Schumer said with every economic data point flashing red because of Trump’s chaotic trade war, more Republicans in the Senate will break with Trump to help families and end the tariffs, and it’s time NY House Republicans did the same. Under Schumer’s leadership, Senate Democrats are also pushing for tariff exemptions for small businesses and putting an end to Trump’s across-the-board tariffs, and Schumer has co-led amicus briefs in the lawsuit challenging Trump’s authority to levy tariffs. Schumer said ending this costly trade war is key to protecting American families from price increases and job losses.