Welch holds roundtable on impact of tariffs on Vt. businesses

STOWE, Vt. (WCAX) - How will tariffs impact tourism in Vermont? Sen. Peter Welch spoke with local officials and businesses at a roundtable in Stowe on Monday.

Welch, a Democrat, says he believes the tariffs are going to be one of the biggest blunders in American history. It’s a stark contrast to how Republican President Trump views the tariffs, which he says are meant to spur the American manufacturing sector.

Welch says many of the relationships with U.S. allies have been disrupted because of the tariffs.

He says he’s holding these sessions to get as much information from Vermont players as possible so he knows how to bring back these conversations to the administration.

“These tariffs are damaging in their own right, but they’re really changing things so that instead of succeeding because you work hard, you’ve got a good product, you provide good service, it’s an access issue, do you have the phone number of the person that can give you a break of the tariffs,” said Welch, D-Vermont.

Panelists we caught up with before the forum say the tariffs will impact the prices of their raw materials and the impact on tourism.

Christa Bowdish, who owns the Old Stagecoach Inn in Stowe, says she’s feeling the squeeze from the lack of Canadian bookings.

“We’ve already seen a decrease, and we’re seeing it progress as the year goes on, and the rhetoric continues to build. Reservations are slowing; cancellations are increasing. We’re seeing almost no web searches coming from Canada,” Bowdish said.

Panelists on Monday said the uncertainty is the worst part. And many businesses in Stowe are seasonal, which makes the tariff turmoil that much more difficult to manage. They say by the time they find another option, they might have to move.

Welch says his challenge now is to take what he’s learned back to Washington to try to change the minds of his colleagues who are on board with the tariffs.

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