¶ Alfonso: “When I Go Into Congress, I Will Stand Strong With President Trump's Tariff Agenda.”
¶ Alfonso: “When I Go Into Congress, I Will Stand Strong With President Trump's Tariff Agenda.”
Michael Alfonso: “When I Go Into Congress, I Will Stand Strong With President Trump's Tariff Agenda.” According to Michael Alfonso at the WI-07 Primary Debate, “ALFONSO: You know, going around the district, there are a lot of issues in our country, but the number one issue I hear is about the tariffs. You know, we hear time and time again from these DC swamp people that the tariffs are causing inflation, that the tariffs are negatively affecting our people. The tariffs are creating fair trade, not free trade. Every farmer I have spoken to, every manufacturer I have spoken to, has said we do not want handouts. What we want is an even playing field. And I'll tell you what, I will take Wisconsin products, the seventh District's products over any product in the entire United States. But it is Congress's job to regulate commerce. And when we go when I go into Congress, I will stand strong with President Trump's tariff agenda. But number two, I will make sure that the revenue generated from the tariffs will go to the businesses affected by the tariffs. Thank you.” [WI-07 Primary Debate, 7/7/26] (video)
¶ Alfonso Failed To Criticize Trump’s Tariffs And Suggested The United States Needed More Competition In The Market
When Asked About Trump's Trade War With Canada, Alfonso Said The U.S. Needed To "Open Up" And Needed "More Competition" In The Market. According to an interview with Michael Alfonso on the Matt Gaetz Show, “GAETZ: President Trump has been fighting for some of those Wisconsin farmers in this trade battle with Canada. How do you see the administration’s moves and what would be your plans in Congress. ALFONSO: Yeah, you know, this is why it's so important to have new ideas coming into the mix. You know, we have four main processors of beef here in the United States. We need to open up, we need to have more competition, not less. And this is why I think it’s so important to have that next generation of leadership coming into Washington because, frankly, the leadership of the past, Joe Biden's worst inflation crisis in 40 years, it ain't working.” [Matt Gaetz Show – OANN , 8/26/26] (video)
When Asked For A Statement On Trump’s Tariffs On Canada, Alfonso’s Campaign Said Wisconsin Farmers Deserved “Every Opportunity To Grow, Compete And Succeed.” According to WEAU 13, “REPORTER: Alfonso's campaign manager sent us a statement on his behalf, saying in part, quote, Wisconsin farmers deserve every opportunity to grow, compete and succeed. That means lowering taxes, cutting unnecessary regulations, opening up new markets and making it easier to do business.” [WEAU 13, 8/26/26] (video)
¶ Alfonso Defended Trump’s Tariffs As A Response To China’s Tariffs
Alfonso Claimed The United States Tariffed China In Response To China’s Tariffs On Products Such As Ginseng. According to Michael Alfonso on Daily Caller podcast, “ALFONSO: Number one, we're going to make sure that American trade is on a fair playing field. We can't have free trade without fair trade. Even here in the seventh District, we're major paper producers. China floods our market with cheap paper products, and then will tariff our ginseng, which is also produced in the seventh District when we send it over there. We're not going to allow that anymore. We are the number one economy in the United States. We're going to make sure that countries that are interacting with us treat our products as such. If you're going to tariff us, we'll tariff you.” [Daily Caller Podcast, 8/4/26] (video)
2018 & 2025: China Enacted Retaliatory Tariffs On The United States In Response To Trump’s Tariffs
HEADLINE: “China Slaps 84% Retaliatory Tariffs On U.S. Goods In Response To Trump” [CNBC, 4/9/25]
HEADLINE: "China Sets Tariffs On $60 Billion In U.S. Goods, Retaliating Against U.S. Duties" [NPR, 9/18/18]
¶ Alfonso Thanked Trump For His Tariffs On Canada
Alfonso Thanked Trump For His Proposed Tariffs On Canada And Said They Were A “Win” For Wisconsin’s Dairy Farmers. According to Michael Alfonso’s Twitter, “Wisconsin dairy farmers are the best in the world. For too long Canada has rigged the game against them. Thank you President Trump for putting a stop to it. These new tariffs finally hold Canada accountable for discriminating against American cheese. That’s a win for every family farm in America’s Dairyland.”
[Twitter, @MichaelAlfonsoWI, 7/20/26]
¶ Trump’s Tariffs Were Causing Higher Costs And Uncertainty For Wisconsin Businesses And Farmers
¶ Experts Warned Trump’s Tariffs On Canada Would Have Detrimental Impacts On Wisconsin’s Businesses
Sam Rikkers, Chief Operating Officer For The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp, Said Trump’s Proposed 50 Percent Tariff On Canada Could Further Strain Businesses. According to Wisconsin Public Radio, “In 2024, Wisconsin had a trade surplus with Canada, exporting roughly $8.5 billion worth of goods while importing $6.3 billion, according to reports from the Wisconsin Policy Forum. That year, Canada was the largest buyer of Wisconsin goods of any country, and ranked as the state’s second biggest source of imported goods, the policy forum found. […] Sam Rikkers, chief operating officer for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., said the agency views Canada as Wisconsin’s ‘single most important trading relationship,’ and he’s concerned the new tariffs could further strain business ties and discourage future investment in the state.” [Wisconsin Public Radio, 7/24/26]
Dale Kooyenga, President And CEO Of The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association Of Commerce, Said He Was Deeply Concerned About The Impact Of Trump’s Tariffs On Wisconsin Businesses. According to Wisconsin Public Radio, “Dale Kooyenga, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, said the association is ‘deeply concerned’ about the potential impact of the new tariffs on businesses in Wisconsin. ‘Our economy relies heavily on manufacturing and international trade,’ he said in a statement. ‘Therefore, any policy that disrupts long-established supply chains or invites retaliatory measures threatens the economic growth and job creation that have helped make our region competitive.’ Kooyenga called Canada ‘one of Wisconsin’s most important trading partners,’ and said the association would prefer to see federal policymakers use ‘a more strategic and measured approach to trade policy.’” [Wisconsin Public Radio, 7/24/26]
Canada Was The Biggest Buyer Of Wisconsin Goods And A Researcher For The Wisconsin Policy Forum Noted Anything That Disrupted Access To That Market Could Have Potentially Serious Consequences For Wisconsin. According to Wisconsin Public Radio, “In 2024, Wisconsin had a trade surplus with Canada, exporting roughly $8.5 billion worth of goods while importing $6.3 billion, according to reports from the Wisconsin Policy Forum. That year, Canada was the largest buyer of Wisconsin goods of any country, and ranked as the state’s second biggest source of imported goods, the policy forum found. ‘Wisconsin’s biggest exports tend to be heavy machinery (or) electrical machinery, the big expensive stuff that really drives good paying jobs,’ said Tyler Byrnes, a senior research associate at Wisconsin Policy Forum. ‘If there was something that disrupted access to that market, that could potentially have serious consequences for Wisconsin’s economy.’” [Wisconsin Public Radio, 7/24/26]
¶ Wisconsin Small Businesses Struggled Under Trump’s Tariffs
HEADLINE: "Wisconsin Small Businesses Struggle With Effects Of Trump’s Tariffs" [Wisconsin Independent, 2/19/26]
HEADLINE: "Wisconsin Pharmacist Says Trump’s Tariffs Could End His Business" [Wisconsin Independent, 8/5/26]
¶ Farmers In WI-07, Where 98 Percent Of The Nation’s Ginseng Was Produced, Faced Economic Strain As China And The United States Entered A Trade War Following Trump’s Tariffs
After China Implemented A 34 Percent Tax On All U.S. Imported Goods In Response To Trump’s Tariffs, Farmers In Marathon County Who Produced 98 Percent Of The Ginseng Grown In The United States Felt The Impact. According to WSAW-TV, “The U.S. trade war is continuing to ramp up, with many businesses finding themselves in the crossfire. Especially those in central Wisconsin. One of those businesses includes ginseng farmers who are being impacted by retaliatory tariffs from China. 98% of ginseng grown in the United States can be found in Marathon Co. Recently, farmers have been feeling the heat of the trade war as China implements a 34% tax on all U.S. imported goods. Just a week ago, the tariff for ginseng to be imported into China was 32.5%, come Wednesday it will be at 66.5%.” [WSAW-TV, 4/8/25]
Joe Heil, President And Owner Of Heil Ginseng, Said The Additional Tariffs On Fertilizer, Tools, And Maintenance Supplies Created Even Greater Economic Strain For Ginseng Farmers. According to WSAW-TV, “‘This is as aggressive as it’s been. It was 12 to 15% for a long time, which again we absorbed that and we could live with that,’ said Joe Heil, president and owner of Heil Ginseng. […] While ginseng farmers are worried about how the tariffs on their exports will impact business, they’re also worrying about those on imports. ‘If we throw any kind of tariffs on top of our fertilizer or our supply we get from other areas, whether it be our you know, tools and some of our little maintenance things that come from overseas and them have a tax or tariff on it just pushes the price, which just means even less for us,’ said Heil.” [WSAW-TV, 4/8/25]
August 2026: China’s Tariffs On Ginseng Continued To Make It More Difficult For Farmers To Compete Against Other Nations’ Production. According to WJFW News 12, “China’s import tariffs are still affecting ginseng farmers. U.S. ginseng farms are heavily concentrated in Marathon County. Will Hsu, owner of Hsu Ginseng Farms says, ‘tariffs on American ginseng have made it more difficult for American farmers to compete against production of other countries.’ It doesn’t help that ginseng, unlike other cash crops, takes five years to mature." [WJFW News 12, 8/11/26]
HEADLINE: "China Trade Spat Threatens Wisconsin's 'Napa Valley' Of Ginseng" [Reuters, 10/23/25]