Tariffs hurt local newspapers, Nebraska
Our local newspapers tell important stories because they document ‘The Good Life.’
Unfortunately, those storytellers have become targets of another Washington, D.C. folly: an unnecessary trade war.
While there is no question that Washington’s anti-trade talk is hurting Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers, others are starting to feel the pain too. Hard-working families and seniors on fixed incomes will be squeezed. Manufacturers, welders, truck drivers and other small businesses across the state will be hit—including newspapers in Nebraska.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a massive tariff on the paper used to print newspapers around the country.
A sole paper mill in Washington state petitioned the federal government to implement a tariff against paper imported from Canada. That means skyrocketing costs for your local newspaper and that the desires of one West Coast company could hamper the entire newsprint industry.
Even though the way we consume media is changing, Nebraska’s newspapers have long been a fundamental part of our communities—it would be tragic for unnecessary and costly tariffs to change that.
The reality of these tariffs is this: they do not just hurt newspapers as a local business or employer, they hit our communities and they hit you.
Local newspapers tell the story of our state.
When you pick one up, you often find the best of Nebraska. You see Nebraskans helping neighbors. You find a recap of last Friday’s football game. You find birth, graduation and local government notices. You find the smile of a young girl who cannot wait to see her picture in the paper. You probably even find a conversation starter for your early morning coffee in town.
And, of course, you find lots and lots of important Husker football news.
You find the stories that make Nebraska a special place.
Yet, the pages that you hold—the actual physical paper—are telling another story that Nebraskans keep sharing with me: we need lower tariffs and more trade because we all benefit.
A little common sense and some basic economics tells us what Nebraskans already know: free trade is good.
Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers feed the world—it is our state’s calling. And because the backbone of Nebraska’s economy is agriculture, we have been doing a lot of winning. But as we enter planting season, uncertainty is breathing down our necks. A volatile market created by escalating and retaliatory tariffs is hurting our ability to sell our goods to hungry customers outside the U.S.
It is simple: tariffs are taxes on American families and trade is a win-win—stuff America used to agree on.
The defense of sensible, pro-trade policies is not about who is living in the White House. This is about upholding the fundamentals, benefits and truths of trade—and nobody does that better than Nebraskans.
Washington should let us keep winning. Local papers will tell our story.