Connecticut imports billions of dollars in goods from Canada, Mexico and China. The prices of some of these products brought into the state could be affected by the tariffs President Donald Trump recently announced.
The president announced new tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China, citing efforts to curb illegal immigration and drug trafficking, among other reasons. The plan includes a 25% tariff on most imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on goods from China. However, energy resources from Canada will face a lower 10% tariff. The tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods have been paused for 30 days.
Here are the top products that Connecticut imports from each country:
Canada
Connecticut’s imports from Canada grew by 103.17% from 2017 to 2023, from $2.8 billion to $5.8 billion. A major portion of that growth was in the aerospace sector. From 2017 to 2023, aerospace imports — largely the parts and materials that go into jet engines and aircraft — grew 259%, from $854 million to a little over $3 billion, petroleum rose 227%, from $213 million to $680 million.
Aviation and aerospace manufacturers are among the most prominent companies in Connecticut, employing thousands of people in highly technical production. Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, Collins Aerospace and Kaman Aerospace — along with thousands of local companies that supply them with precision parts — make up an industry cluster known as “Aerospace Alley” in Connecticut. When tariffs are applied to the inputs these companies use in production, it increases their operating costs and can reduce their profits.
The trends continued through November 2024. Aerospace products and parts were 48.62% of the total imports during that period, or $2.3 billion out of $4.7 billion in total imports. Petroleum and coal products were the second-most imported products from Canada, with just over half a billion dollars in imports.
China
From 2017 through 2023, Connecticut’s imports from China have changed, declining by 44.45% from 2017 to 2023, from $2.2 billion to $1.2 billion worth of products.
Miscellaneous manufactured commodities from China — things like sports equipment, toys, office supplies and other consumer goods — grew 112.8% from 2017 to 2021 before falling off 46.62% from 2021 to 2023, potentially due in part to pandemic-related supply chain pressure. Overall, these manufactured commodities increased 13.6% over six years, rising from $125 million to $142 million.
Plastics products saw a steeper decline, down 25.2% from $107 million to $80 million over the period. Footwear imports dropped sharply by 99.28% over five years, going from $277 million to $2 million in imports.
From January through November 2024, Connecticut imported $1.2 billion in goods from China. While the most imported goods during that period were the same as in 2023, they followed the same declining trend in imports.
Mexico
From 2017 through 2023, Connecticut’s imports from Mexico grew by 41.88%, from $2.5 billion to $3.5 billion. The top import categories from Mexico were, like those from Canada, industrial parts and materials needed for Connecticut’s advanced manufacturing sector.
Nonferrous imports — copper, nickel, titanium, zinc, lead, and other precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum — increased by 44.53%, reaching $2.2 billion in 2023. Electrical equipment and components had the largest percentage increase, growing 117.53%, from $97 million to $211 million. Cleaning compounds and toilet preparations imports rose by 66.34%, from $101 million to $168 million.
From January through November 2024, nonferrous metals imports continued to make up the largest portion of Connecticut’s imports from Mexico, at 61.19% of the total $3.1 billion-worth of goods imported.