Gov. Tim Walz criticized President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China at a Cannon Falls family farm on March 4, 2025. Photo by Michelle Griffith/Minnesota Reformer.
Gov. Tim Walz criticized President Donald Trump on Tuesday for imposing steep new tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China — Minnesota’s top three trading partners. Walz argued the additional tax on imports will hurt Minnesota farmers, businesses and consumers.
“Any trade war, wherever it is… the ag community hurts the worst. It’s the easiest one to target, and it’s the one that pinches people the hardest,” Walz told a group gathered at a farm in Cannon Falls before a press conference.
Walz later told reporters that Minnesota farmers don’t need more uncertainty.
“This is totally avoidable. And if I had some advice on this one — President Trump can just claim victory. We’ll create an award here and award it (to) him that he won the trade war. Good for you,” Walz said. “But let us get back to the work of real economics, the growing of the food, making sure that we’re innovating for the future.”
The U.S. tariffs impose an additional 25% on almost all imports from Canada and Mexico and another 10% on imports from China, beginning Tuesday. A round of retaliatory tariffs are expected, and in some cases already begun. That means the prices of Minnesota products will rise, making it more difficult to compete with Canadian, Mexican and Chinese firms.
Separately, Minnesota companies that import goods — like Target and Best Buy — will have to pay more, which they’ll likely pass on to consumers.
Canada and Mexico are Minnesota’s largest export markets, encompassing nearly half of Minnesota’s total. In 2023, Minnesota exported nearly $7.1 billion in goods to Canada and over $3.3 billion to Mexico, according to the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.
Cannon Falls corn and soybean farmer Danny Lundell said the tariffs will increase the price of potash — a soil nutrient — which is primarily imported from Canada. Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish last month said a 25% tariff on potash will cost farmers an additional $1.70 per acre for growing corn and $1.42 per acre for soybeans.
“(Trump’s) ruled by chaos. He creates a lot of chaos, uncertainty. In the farming/ag community, there’s a lot of nervousness going on right now,” Lundell said.
Trump in a social media post Monday said that farmers needed to prioritize selling their products inside the U.S.
“To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States. Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
Danny Lundell’s wife, Mary Lundell, whose Cannon Falls farm has been in her family for nearly 160 years, said it’s not realistic to focus solely on selling to a domestic market.
“We’re a global economy. I mean, you can’t just focus on interior, in the U.S. only. That’s just not realistic in today’s world,” Mary Lundell said.
Walz said that with the impact of tariffs and uncertainty at the federal government, the Minnesota Legislature should work together and get a budget done on time to help Minnesotans.
“It behooves all of us to provide some calm and certainty here, to reach some compromises, to get along together, get things done on time,” Walz said. “We don’t want to add any more uncertainty.”