Local Congressional Reps Chastise Trump Administration for Newsprint Tariffs
Area congressional representatives are joining a bipartisan chorus of critics who are chastising the Trump administration for imposing tariffs on Canadian newsprint.
Local congressman Sean Patrick Maloney is a cosponsor of a bill introduced in June by Congresswoman Kristi Noem, a South Dakota Republican. The legislation, known as the PRINT Act, would place a temporary hold on the newsprint tariffs while the Commerce Department investigates the adverse impact on the industry.
“Millions of Americans rely on their local papers for the latest news on what’s happening in their corner of the world,” the District 18 Democrat said. “New digital platforms are great, but they’re not reporting on what’s happening in your own backyard. The last thing we should be doing is taxing our local free press. This is an issue that Democrats and Republicans are both up in arms against – and we’re fighting to rollback these tariffs to protect thousands of jobs and local papers.”
In January, tariffs were implemented after the Commerce Department sided with North Pacific Paper Company, a paper mill based in Washington State. The paper company had alleged that Canadian manufacturers were selling newsprint at artificially low prices. On August 2, publishers received mildly helpful news, when the department issued tariffs that were lower than industry watchers originally anticipated. The tariffs range from 3.38 percent to 20 percent but, on top of that, newsprint prices are projected to increase by about 30 percent over the next year or two, remarked Michelle K. Rea, executive director of the New York Press Association.
Most publishers have seen the price per metric ton increase by $200 or more over the past 10 months, Rea noted.
“The newsprint tariffs are putting enormous pressure on an already challenged industry,” she said.
Local Democratic Congresswoman Nita Lowey, for her part, said “President Trump’s arbitrary decision to get the United States into a trade war is hurting many aspects of the economy, and I’m deeply concerned about the impact of resulting tariffs on local newspapers.”
“Current, local news is fundamental to holding elected officials accountable and to addressing the information needs of our communities, from emergencies to community events, and it plays an indispensable role in contextualizing important national issues,” the District 17 Democrat added. “We simply cannot afford for local newspapers to be priced out of business because of President Trump’s careless policies.”
Efforts to end the newsprint tariffs do enjoy bipartisan appeal. Republican congressional candidate James O’Donnell, who is seeking to unseat Maloney in District 18, said that while he strongly supports the president’s efforts to create a more level playing field for trade deals, he opposes the newsprint tariffs.
“Communities rely on the local journalism to stay active and engaged, and their local papers are one of the only ways to obtain information about local government and community news,” O’Donnell stated. “If elected, I would join the bipartisan coalition of my colleagues in the NY delegation to urge Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and the International Trade Commission (ITC) to reconsider the tariffs on UGW. I will work closely with the Administration on developing smart, fair trade policy with our Canadian neighbor that benefits American entities and workers, including the news industry.”
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Rea, the press association executive director, is continuing her efforts to lobby for ending the tariffs.
“The fight continues and we hope to convince the department to eliminate the tariffs after a hearing to be conducted later this month,” Rea concluded.
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