State launches survey as part of efforts to respond to tariffs
Photo | WBJ File
Workers assemble office furniture at Leominster manufacturer AIS.
The Gov. Maura Healey Administration has launched a survey for business owners to gauge current or anticipated impacts caused by new tariffs, part of a broader initiative to minimize potential negative impacts of President Donald Trump’s trade wars.
The survey was launched as part of the state’s Tariff Response and Business Operations Support Initiative (TRBO), an initiative launched in partnership with the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative Center for Advanced Manufacturing. TRBO seeks to assist Massachusetts manufacturers with developing response plans to the impact of tariffs.
“In Massachusetts, we will not abandon our manufacturers the way that President Trump has by waging a trade war against our allies that is increasing costs for everyone and hurting American businesses,” Healey said in an April 14 press release announcing TRBO. “My administration has partnered with businesses from Day One and, in this time of uncertainty, I want to do all I can to safeguard the manufacturing sector and mitigate market fluctuations.”
Speaking at WBJ’s Central Mass Manufacturing Summit & Awards on Tuesday, Lily Fitzgerald, director, Center for Advanced Manufacturing, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, said Massachusetts is the first state she’s aware of that has launched an organized response to the impact of tariffs.
“We have to get the facts on the ground so that we can be sure to do the right thing,” Fitzgerald said of the survey. “I've seen things, I have tons of anecdotes, I've had tons of conversations, but it's not the same thing as getting some data.”
The survey will be followed by state efforts to support tariff risk mitigation plans and to support the adaptability of supply chains relied on by Massachusetts manufacturers.
Survey questions include inquiries into the anticipated impact of tariffs on bottom lines, firms' reliance on foreign raw materials to manufacture their products, and what kind of state support businesses are seeking.
The survey can be found here.
Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.
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