Washington state braces for economic ripple as Trump tariffs hit key trading partners

Technology

SEATTLE — Two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and trade-related industries in Washington state, and the reciprocal tariffs announced this week by President Donald Trump are expected to have far-reaching implications.The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), which works with the Port of Seattle and the Port of Tacoma, is a leading gateway for international commerce into the United States. The Alliance handled $70 billion of waterborne trade with 180 trading partners globally in 2022. Cargo operations coming in by ship support more than 58,000 jobs and generate about $12.4 billion in economic activity for the state.RELATED | Shoppers weigh impact of Trump’s tariffs on grocery imports, prices, and shortagesCargo growth has been strong so far this year, and volumes have increased more than 25%, exceeding the five-year average for imports and exports. Shippers have been fast-tracking orders in an attempt to avoid tariffs, leading to a 34.7% increase in international imports.Exports increased 4.5% and were 5.7% higher than the five-year average. A big help in this lift is the strong demand for Washington state agricultural goods, and total container volume for the month reached 264,869 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a 25% increase compared to January 2024.President Trump has issued a 10% tariff on all countries as well as additional tariffs on nearly 60 countries. The baseline tariff takes effect on Saturday and additional reciprocal tariffs will go into effect on Wednesday. A 25% tariff on all imported automobiles is already underway, as are previously announced tariffs on Mexico and Canada.Trump’s reciprocal tariffs set to take effect April 9 include:China – 34%EU – 20%Vietnam – 46%Taiwan – 32%Thailand –36%Indonesia – 32%Switzerland – 31%India – 26%South Korea – 25%Japan – 24%Malaysia – 24%Israel – 17%Cambodia – 49%The top trading partners shipping products through NWSA facilities are hit hard by this list. By volume, China sends the most goods through these ports, followed by Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, and the Philippines.China responded by announcing a 34% percent tariff on American imports, matching the one imposed by Trump.By some estimates, Trump’s tariffs will cost American importers nearly $800 billion. The top imports, in descending order, are: furniture, machinery, motor vehicle parts, apparel, plastic articles, toys and games, footwear, iron or steel products, and textiles.The top exports through NWSA include, in descending order: hay and forage, frozen potato products, dried distillers grain, scrap paper, paper and paperboard, wood pulp, foodstuffs, soybeans, dairy products, animal feed, apples, logs, scrap metal, fish, chemicals, and fresh potatoes.There is a growing concern that tariffs will hurt critical sectors of the state economy, such as agriculture, manufacturing, and technology, and those costs will be passed on to consumers. Data provided by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, shows that a 25% tariff on all Canadian and Mexican goods would add an estimated $144 billion a year to the cost of manufacturing in the United States. Those tariffs could also raise car prices by as much as $15,000, according to Cantwell.Information provided by the White House claims that tariffs are an effective tool for achieving economic and strategic objectives. Tariffs can strengthen the U.S. economy and lead to the reshoring of industries like manufacturing and steel production.The White House also cited a 2023 report by the U.S. International Trade Commission, which found that tariffs reduced imports from China and stimulated more U.S. production of the affected goods, with “very minor effects” on downstream prices.

Maya Angelou memoir, Holocaust book are among those pulled from Naval Academy library in DEI purge

Arts & Culture, Books

WASHINGTON (AP) — Books on the Holocaust, histories of feminism, civil rights and racism, and Maya Angelou’s famous autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” were among the nearly 400 volumes removed from the U.S. Naval Academy’s library this week after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office ordered the school to get rid of ones that promote diversity, equity and inclusion.The Navy late Friday provided the list of 391 books that have been taken out of its library. The move marks another step in the Trump administration’s far-reaching effort to purge so-called DEI content from federal agencies, including policies, programs, online and social media postings and curriculum at schools. In addition to Angelou’s award-winning tome, the list includes “Memorializing the Holocaust,” which deals with Holocaust memorials; “Half American,” about African Americans in World War II; “A Respectable Woman,” about the public roles of African American women in 19th century New York; and “Pursuing Trayvon Martin,” about the 2012 shooting of the Black 17-year-old in Florida that raised questions about racial profiling.

Other books clearly deal with subjects that have been stridently targeted by the Trump administration, including gender identity, sexuality and transgender issues. A wide array of books on race and gender were targeted, dealing with such topics as African American women poets, entertainers who wore blackface and the treatment of women in Islamic countries.

Also on the list were historical books on racism, the Ku Klux Klan and the treatment of women, gender and race in art and literature.

In a statement, the Navy said officials went through the Nimitz Library catalog, using keyword searches, to identify books that required further review. About 900 books were identified in the search.“Departmental officials then closely examined the preliminary list to determine which books required removal,” said Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, Navy spokesman. “Nearly 400 books were removed from Nimitz Library to comply with directives outlined in Executive Orders issued by the President.”

The books were removed shortly before Hegseth arrived Tuesday for a visit to the academy, which had already been planned and was not connected to the library purge, officials said.The Pentagon has said the academies are “fully committed to executing and implementing President Trump’s Executive Orders.”The Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, the Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, had not been included in President Donald Trump’s executive order in January that banned DEI instruction, programs or curriculum in kindergarten through 12th grade schools that receive federal funding. That is because the academies are colleges.Pentagon leaders, however, turned their attention to the Naval Academy last week when a media report noted that the school had not removed books promoting DEI. A U.S. official said the academy was told late last week to conduct the review and removal. It isn’t clear if the order was directed by Hegseth or someone else on his staff.

A West Point official confirmed earlier this week that the school had completed a review of its curriculum and was prepared to review library content if directed by the Army. The Air Force and Naval academies had also done curriculum reviews as had been required.An Air Force Academy official said the school continually reviews its curriculum, coursework and other materials to ensure it all complies with executive orders and Defense Department policies. Last week, Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, the Air Force Academy superintendent, told Congress that the school was in the middle of its course review, but there was no mention of books.The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss academy policies.Hegseth has aggressively pushed the department to erase DEI programs and online content, but the campaign has been met with questions from angry lawmakers, local leaders and citizens over the removal of military heroes and historic mentions from Defense Department websites and social media pages.

BlueWind Technology sees opportunity in tariffs despite immediate cost challenges

Technology

PENSACOLA, Fla. — A sweeping round of tariffs by the Trump administration on Tuesday is having a major impact on the windmill industry.BlueWind Technology in Pensacola opened in 2020. The company has since manufactured more than 3,000 highly-advanced covers for windmills.The company says they’re seeing an immediate rise in the cost of materials. Despite the company’s concerns, they are very optimistic about the tariffs’ impact on the U.S. economy.”President Trump campaigned on these tariffs,” said BlueWind Technology founder Henry Kelly. “I said to the fellow shareholders we need to understand now what may occur.”Kelly says he’s not surprised to see unprecedented tariffs unleashed against foreign nations. The company produces a key part of wind turbines, using imported materials from 12 countries around the world.WEAR News was told their imported raw materials have seen an immediate 10% increase since Tuesday.”We purchase resin and chemicals from Thailand, Denmark, India, Brazil, Colombia,” said Kelly. Trump pledged to make American manufacturing a key focus in his second term. Kelly says the fear is how long it will take before the plan bears fruit, saying he would prefer to buy American materials but not enough companies produce the products.”My concern with the tariffs is how quickly can other American countries ramp up production as opposed to paying tariffs on international supplies,” said Kelly. BlueWind Technology produced enough units to power 3,000,000 homes in the last five years, increasing their staff in that time by 200 employees with roughly 700% growth.Kelly says the United States is in dire need of more energy production from wind to coal to hydrogen and other sources. But it can’t afford to cut off its foreign trade partners until the infrastructure comes.”We started against the common wisdom five years ago to have a manufacturing company in the U.S,” said Kelly. “Now we’re getting calls from companies in Israel, eastern Europe, Brazil to want to partner to manufacture here as a way to avoid the tariffs.””For an existing manufacturer, this part of the story is good news,” he said. “As I said, the challenge is where our raw materials come from but I’m hoping other companies and investors bring this technology to the U.S. that we can buy in the U.S.”WEAR: “And if what you’re saying actually goes that way, that’s the hope.”Kelly: “That’s the hope.”WEAR: “Except, it could take a few years?”Kelly: “Right.””This requires advanced manufacturing and advanced engineering,” Kelly said. “Those sorts of things take time, not only for manufacturing but for workforce, skills and for training. So that’s why it will take time because these things aren’t easy to manufacture.”Amid the ongoing tariffs and uncertainty in the global economy, Kelly’s also a licensed customs broker, consulting with many international companies for imports. He says recent discussions he’s had around the globe point the tariffs ultimately working in the U.S. favor.”Now, my phone is ringing off the hook with people saying, ‘I want to open a manufacturing operation in the U.S. How do I start that,'” Kelly said. “We’re seeing an already immediate reaction and much higher interest on how do we begin manufacturing in the U.S.?”WEAR: “As an expert in this field, you would stay that’s a step in the right direction?”Kelly: “Absolutely, it’s a step in the right direction. I do agree with the assessment. We’ll have some short-term pain. But I believe the intent is correct.”A recent study by the Haas Center found wind manufacturing in Florida has created roughly 2,500 jobs and generates a billion-dollar economic impact.

Cambridge antiques business to open for spring season April 12

Business News

CAMBRIDGE, Ill. (KWQC) -If you are ready to get out and enjoy warmer weather along with shopping in a lovely rustic setting, here’s something you may want to check out.Songbird Lane Antiques, 16870 North 1100TH Avenue, Cambridge is set to host Springtime in the Country (which is the official spring opener) on April 12. It will also be a celebration of 10 years for this business.Patrons are welcome to shop Saturday and Sunday, April 12-13 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, visit the website here or call 309-507-1660. The business Facebook page is here.Copyright 2025 KWQC. All rights reserved.

Globalization Didn’t Fail America — Washington Did: by Professor C. Justin Robinson

Technology

Few topics ignite more partisan heat than globalization. For decades, Leaders in the United States (U.S.)have blamed it for shuttered factories, lost jobs, and stagnant wages. From Ross Perot’s “giant sucking sound” in the 1990s to Donald Trump’s “America First” tariffs, the political narrative has been straightforward: globalization hurt the United States. But like most convenient stories, this one is only half true.Yes, globalization disrupted American manufacturing. It forced painful adjustments in factory towns and exposed weaknesses in social safety nets. However, it also provided America with cheaper goods, sparked innovation, and helped the U.S. maintain its global economic leadership. The uncomfortable truth is this: globalization was not the problem. The failure to manage it was.

Uncertainty looms over research conference as U.S. science cuts and tariff tensions mount 

Science and Health

Open this photo in gallery:Uncertainty at the 68th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research, set for the first week of June in Milwaukee, mirrors broader turmoil in U.S. science. Researchers prepare to deploy a remotely operated vehicle to explore sinkholes in the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary.NOAA Great Lakes Environmental R/ReutersSave for laterOnly months ago, the prospect of drawing hundreds of Great Lakes researchers to a conference in Milwaukee didn’t worry Jérôme Marty.As executive director of the International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR), he had seen enthusiasm for such gatherings rebound postpandemic. Expecting 800 attendees, he and his colleagues booked venues and prepaid vendors in 2023.Then the second Trump presidency hit like a rogue wave. With worsening cross-border relations, deep job cuts at government science agencies and U.S. civil service travel freezes, the IAGLR is now recalculating attendance just to break even.“We thought the pandemic was the hardest time to run a conference,” said Prof. Marty, a University of Ottawa freshwater scientist. “But this one comes with a new set of headaches.”Uncertainty at the 68th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research, set for the first week of June in Milwaukee, mirrors broader turmoil in U.S. science. An open letter published by nearly 2,000 scientists this week decries funding cuts, mass firings, data suppression and ideological interference.Across the Great Lakes, researchers fear the Trump administration’s blunt orders to downsize government could endanger critical monitoring programs on both sides of the border – from tracking toxic algal blooms to forecasting storms. One casualty, the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Mich., runs wave, ice and wind prediction systems vital to navigation.Environmental comeback of Great Lakes at risk with Canada and U.S. in tariff turmoil“We haven’t lost a ship since this system was implemented,” said Deborah Lee, who retired as lab director in February after 40 years in the civil service, much of it with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The day after her retirement, she learned that 20 per cent of her lab’s staff had been laid off.She now worries about the fate of the lab, where staff routinely clocked long, uncomfortable hours aboard small vessels to perform vital fieldwork. “I’m really hoping the lab will be able to move forward and deliver its mission,” she said.While court orders have reinstated some positions there and elsewhere, many affected scientists remain on non-duty status – collecting paycheques but prohibited from returning to their research or fieldwork.Remaining staff face budget freezes and other restrictions. Ms. Lee said limits on some government-issued credit cards have been reduced to US$1 – at a time when the laboratory is gearing up for fieldwork season.“Normally, the laboratory does about a million dollars a year of procurement on credit cards,” she said. “They have to purchase supplies, to travel, to procure parts for the ships. They are working through it, but it’s really impeding being able to be ready for field season.”Many scientists have been instructed to avoid terms such as “diversity” and “climate change” to comply with executive orders, forcing some to use personal devices and non-government e-mails to communicate freely. “We’ve been advised not to use the word ‘biodiversity’ because it’s getting flagged,” said Donna Kashian, a Wayne State University biology professor. “The amount of time spent on this is ridiculous.”Scientists across federal agencies – including the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation – are confronting parallel challenges. The New York Times estimates that 130,000 federal employees have left their jobs or have been fired and foresees a further reduction of 170,000 jobs.One program that was nearly derailed is the binational fight against sea lampreys – invasive, parasitic fish that decimated native Great Lakes species in the 20th century. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission contracts the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to cull lamprey larvae annually. But this February, FWS couldn’t carry out the work owing to layoffs of probationary employees, hiring freezes and travel bans, threatening hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to Great Lakes fisheries, said Greg McClinchey, the legislative affairs and policy director for the commission.After weeks of lobbying, much of the funding has been restored.“I can now report that the service has been given the authority to hire back that seasonal staff and bring back probationary employees,” Mr. McClinchey said.That reversal offers some hope for the Milwaukee conference organizers, who monitor registrations daily. In addition to the U.S. drama, they’ve heard from Canadians who are no longer comfortable travelling to the U.S.“It’s a very uncertain time,” Prof. Marty said. “For everyone.”

Uncertainty looms over research conference as U.S. science cuts and tariff tensions mount 

Science and Health

Open this photo in gallery:Uncertainty at the 68th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research, set for the first week of June in Milwaukee, mirrors broader turmoil in U.S. science. Researchers prepare to deploy a remotely operated vehicle to explore sinkholes in the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary.NOAA Great Lakes Environmental R/ReutersSave for laterOnly months ago, the prospect of drawing hundreds of Great Lakes researchers to a conference in Milwaukee didn’t worry Jérôme Marty.As executive director of the International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR), he had seen enthusiasm for such gatherings rebound postpandemic. Expecting 800 attendees, he and his colleagues booked venues and prepaid vendors in 2023.Then the second Trump presidency hit like a rogue wave. With worsening cross-border relations, deep job cuts at government science agencies and U.S. civil service travel freezes, the IAGLR is now recalculating attendance just to break even.“We thought the pandemic was the hardest time to run a conference,” said Prof. Marty, a University of Ottawa freshwater scientist. “But this one comes with a new set of headaches.”Uncertainty at the 68th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research, set for the first week of June in Milwaukee, mirrors broader turmoil in U.S. science. An open letter published by nearly 2,000 scientists this week decries funding cuts, mass firings, data suppression and ideological interference.Across the Great Lakes, researchers fear the Trump administration’s blunt orders to downsize government could endanger critical monitoring programs on both sides of the border – from tracking toxic algal blooms to forecasting storms. One casualty, the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Mich., runs wave, ice and wind prediction systems vital to navigation.Environmental comeback of Great Lakes at risk with Canada and U.S. in tariff turmoil“We haven’t lost a ship since this system was implemented,” said Deborah Lee, who retired as lab director in February after 40 years in the civil service, much of it with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The day after her retirement, she learned that 20 per cent of her lab’s staff had been laid off.She now worries about the fate of the lab, where staff routinely clocked long, uncomfortable hours aboard small vessels to perform vital fieldwork. “I’m really hoping the lab will be able to move forward and deliver its mission,” she said.While court orders have reinstated some positions there and elsewhere, many affected scientists remain on non-duty status – collecting paycheques but prohibited from returning to their research or fieldwork.Remaining staff face budget freezes and other restrictions. Ms. Lee said limits on some government-issued credit cards have been reduced to US$1 – at a time when the laboratory is gearing up for fieldwork season.“Normally, the laboratory does about a million dollars a year of procurement on credit cards,” she said. “They have to purchase supplies, to travel, to procure parts for the ships. They are working through it, but it’s really impeding being able to be ready for field season.”Many scientists have been instructed to avoid terms such as “diversity” and “climate change” to comply with executive orders, forcing some to use personal devices and non-government e-mails to communicate freely. “We’ve been advised not to use the word ‘biodiversity’ because it’s getting flagged,” said Donna Kashian, a Wayne State University biology professor. “The amount of time spent on this is ridiculous.”Scientists across federal agencies – including the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation – are confronting parallel challenges. The New York Times estimates that 130,000 federal employees have left their jobs or have been fired and foresees a further reduction of 170,000 jobs.One program that was nearly derailed is the binational fight against sea lampreys – invasive, parasitic fish that decimated native Great Lakes species in the 20th century. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission contracts the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to cull lamprey larvae annually. But this February, FWS couldn’t carry out the work owing to layoffs of probationary employees, hiring freezes and travel bans, threatening hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to Great Lakes fisheries, said Greg McClinchey, the legislative affairs and policy director for the commission.After weeks of lobbying, much of the funding has been restored.“I can now report that the service has been given the authority to hire back that seasonal staff and bring back probationary employees,” Mr. McClinchey said.That reversal offers some hope for the Milwaukee conference organizers, who monitor registrations daily. In addition to the U.S. drama, they’ve heard from Canadians who are no longer comfortable travelling to the U.S.“It’s a very uncertain time,” Prof. Marty said. “For everyone.”