Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
Assemblywoman ALIXON COLLAZOS-GILL
District 27 (Essex and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Opposes President Trump’s tariff policy on imported products.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution opposing President Trump’s tariff policy on imported products.
Whereas, As of March 12, 2025, President Donald J. Trump imposed a tariff of 25 percent on all steel and aluminum imports; and
Whereas, In April 2025, President Trump further imposed a 25 percent tariff on cars and auto parts and a universal import duty of 10 percent on all products with reciprocal tariffs to follow; and
Whereas, President Trump has imposed, paused, and threatened additional reciprocal and retaliatory tariffs on imported products from various countries, creating significant uncertainty for global markets; and
Whereas, Since the mid-20th century, international commerce has largely abided by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which sought the substantial reduction of tariffs and other trade barriers on a reciprocal and mutually advantageous basis and whose principles remain in effect under the World Trade Organization; and
Whereas, Tariffs function as taxes on imports, which economists broadly agree are passed on to consumers and businesses in the form of higher prices; and
Whereas, According to a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, the tariffs introduced over the course of 2018 by the first Trump Administration resulted in substantial increases in the prices of goods, large changes to the supply-chain network, reductions in availability of imported varieties of goods, and complete pass-through of the tariffs into domestic prices of imported goods; and
Whereas, Increases in the cost of imported goods by President Trump’s current tariff policies will lead to higher costs of living for New Jersey residents and higher operating costs for New Jersey businesses; and
Whereas, These economic burdens threaten to reduce employment opportunities and diminish the State’s overall economic output; and
Whereas, As a State with a diverse economy and a container port that is one of the busiest in the United States, New Jersey is particularly vulnerable to the destabilizing effects of sweeping tariff policies that disrupt international trade and supply chains; and
Whereas, Given the harmful effect of these tariffs on New Jersey residents and American consumers more broadly, this House strongly opposes President Trump’s current and proposed tariffs; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House opposes President Donald J. Trump’s tariff policy on imported products.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the President and Vice-President of the United States and the United States Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer.
STATEMENT
This resolution opposes President Donald J. Trump’s tariff policy on imported products, including a 25 percent tariff on steel, aluminum, cars, and auto parts, as well as a 10 percent universal import duty of on all products, with reciprocal tariffs to follow. President Trump has also imposed, paused, and threatened additional reciprocal and retaliatory tariffs creating significant uncertainty for global markets.
These tariffs function as taxes on imports, which economists broadly agree are passed on to consumers and businesses in the form of higher prices. Increases in the cost of imported goods will lead to higher costs of living for New Jersey residents and operating costs for New Jersey businesses. These economic burdens threaten to reduce employment opportunities and diminish the State’s overall economic output. Given the harmful effect of these tariffs on New Jersey residents and American consumers more broadly, this House strongly opposes President Trump’s current and proposed tariffs.