One Fresno fabrication shop owner said steel prices have gone up 20% in the last week. Photo by the blowup on unsplash.com

On Tuesday, Pres. Donald Trump implemented his promised tariffs on Canada and Mexico of up to 25%.

According to the White House website, the tariffs will remain in effect until drugs including fentanyl — and undocumented immigrants — “stop this Invasion of our Country!”

The threat of tariffs is already being felt locally.

Ferol Garcia, owner and CEO of Fast Trak Metal Fabrication in Fresno, said that steel prices have gone up 20% in the last week.

She said most of her suppliers are holding prices for 1-7 days, when before it was typical for a supplier to hold a price for 30 days — and often a lot longer.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday urged reconsideration of the tariffs.

“The Chamber supports the administration’s efforts to advance pro-growth policies like fewer regulations and less taxation that will grow our economy and expand opportunity; and to fix serious problems like our broken border and stopping the flow of fentanyl in this country,” said Neil Bradley, chief policy officer at the US. Chamber of Commerce. “We also want to work together to keep costs down, but tariffs will only raise prices and increase the economic pain being felt by everyday Americans across the country. We urge reconsideration of this policy and a swift end to these tariffs.”

Rising prices have led to decline in consumer sentiment, with American households feeling the impact.

Samuel Molina is the CEO and founder of The Academy of Financial Education in Fresno, a nonprofit that seeks to narrow the wealth gap.

“The United States of America is not a business—we are a country that must generate revenue and control spending while maintaining essential federal programs. These policies may reduce the spending power of American families at a time when financial stability is crucial. Americans can ill-afford continued rising prices; the President and Congress should be focusing on policies that help Americans keep money in their pockets, encourage job growth, entrepreneurship, education, and vocational training,” Molina said in a statement

The 10% tariff on crude oil could lead to a 16-cent increase per gallon of gas, according to Mike Skordeles in a recent USA Today article.

Canada responded Tuesday, imposing its own tariffs on $30 billion Canadian ($20.8 billion U.S.) worth of goods imported from the U.S., including orange juice, peanut butter, wine, spirits, beer, coffee, appliances, apparel, footwear, motorcycles, cosmetics and certain paper products.

Canada also intends to impose tariffs on $125 billion Canadian ($86.8 billion U.S.) in imports from the U.S. in a second round that will be subject to a 21-day comment period before being implemented. This round would include products such as electric vehicles, trucks and busses, certain fruits and vegetables, aerospace products beef, pork and dairy, according to the Canadian government website.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum plans to announce Mexico’s full response at an event on Sunday.

China responded to the U.S. tariffs by announcing Tuesday that it will impose additional tariffs of up to 15% on imports on U.S. farm products including chicken, pork, soy and beef, and expanded controls on doing business with major U.S. companies, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.