Kentucky Elected Leaders Speak on the Harmful Impact of Tariffs

Elected leaders at the state and national levels are voicing concerns about the harmful impact of tariffs on the business community.

U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell hosted a roundtable Thursday with Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport CEO Larry Krauter, Kentucky Chamber President and CEO Ashli Watts, and other business leaders from northern Kentucky to discuss the impact businesses are seeing from recent changes in international trade policy implemented by the Trump Administration.

Senator McConnell said tariffs are a flawed policy and a tax on working Americans and that Kentucky will be the state hit the hardest with these policies. He emphasized that escalating trade tensions with allies would only raise prices and weaken U.S. competitiveness. He called for a more collaborative approach to international trade that works with global partners rather than creating economic strain.

“We are sitting here today in a state that is extremely dependent upon international trade,” Senator McConnell said, noting that Kentucky is the most dependent on trade on exports of all the 50 states and the third most dependent on trade on imports.

“A trade war is not the way to economic prosperity,” Watts said, sharing that “these broad national policies have a very local impact for our businesses and Kentuckians.”

She said that trade wars hurt not only major corporations but also small and mid-sized businesses. When noting the many key Kentucky industries that are being disproportionately affected, Watts stressed that “businesses need certainty and stability, and tariffs are doing the exact opposite, making it difficult for them to plan for the future and invest in growth.”

Additionally, she noted that the tariffs are estimated to cost Kentucky families $3,000 this year alone.

This week, Watts joined Governor Andy Beshear when he addressed the issue at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Impact Summit. Speaking in front of chamber and business leaders from across the country, he emphasized the impact tariffs will have on the economy and families, further noting the negative effect that tariffs will have on key Kentucky industries like bourbon and manufacturing.

U.S. Senator Rand Paul echoed his concerns in remarks to the Kentucky Chamber’s board of directors—business leaders representing diverse regions and industries. Paul has been a vocal opponent of tariffs and has spoken about the instability they have brought to the stock markets and their impact on everyday products.

Paul also filed legislation that would require congressional approval of tariffs before they are implemented. McConnell joined a bipartisan group of senators supporting the Trade Review Act of 2025.

Stay tuned to The Bottom Line for updates on tariffs and trade policy.