Harrisburg, PA – This week, Governor Josh Shapiro met with farmers, small business owners, and workers across Pennsylvania to hear firsthand about the challenges they face and highlight how his Administration is helping them innovate, grow, and stay competitive — all while pushing back against harmful federal tariffs that are driving up costs for all Pennsylvanians.
- On Tuesday, Governor Shapiro toured Metzler Forest Products in Mifflin County to highlight his Administration’s first-in-the-nation Agricultural Innovation Grant Program, which has invested $10 million to support cutting-edge advancements in agriculture and forestry. Pennsylvania leads the nation in hardwoods production and exports, and these investments ensure the industry remains strong despite economic challenges. The Governor emphasized that new federal tariffs on key trade partners like Canada and Mexico will raise costs for farmers and businesses, making it harder to compete and grow.
- On Wednesday, Governor Shapiro visited Fegley’s Brew Works in the Lehigh Valley to discuss his Administration’s $20 million Main Street Matters initiative and investments in Pennsylvania’s craft brewing industry, as well as $516,000 in research and marketing grants to boost sales, production, and quality in Pennsylvania’s craft beer and malt beverage industry. With over 500 craft breweries statewide, Pennsylvania is a national leader in beer production — but new tariffs on steel and aluminum threaten to drive up prices for small businesses and consumers. The Governor made clear that while Washington raises costs, Pennsylvania is cutting them — lowering taxes, streamlining regulations, and making targeted investments to support economic growth.
- On Thursday, Governor Shapiro joined labor leaders, contractors, and industry stakeholders at Steamfitters Local 420 in Philadelphia to highlight his Administration’s historic investments in workforce development. To support Pennsylvania’s growing industries, he announced a $5 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant to expand the union’s training center, doubling the number of apprentices trained each year. Under the Governor’s leadership, Pennsylvania has boosted workforce development funding by nearly $65 million — a 50 percent increase — expanding vo-tech programs, career and technical education (CTE), and apprenticeships to ensure more Pennsylvanians have the skills they need to succeed.
Governor Shapiro also appeared on The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle to discuss how these federal tariffs will impact Pennsylvania’s economy and what his Administration is doing to protect farmers, manufacturers, and small businesses from rising costs.
See below for key excerpts from Governor Shapiro’s interviews.
ON CUTTING COSTS AND INVESTING IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE COMMONWEALTH:
"What I'm focused on every day is trying to make peoples’ lives here in Pennsylvania better. It's why I've cut taxes. It's why I'm investing in vo-tech to give people opportunities for work in some of those communities you’ve talked about. It's why we have 81 new apprenticeship programs in Pennsylvania, with several thousand more people going through those apprenticeship programs. Everything from welding to dairy herd management, because I'm trying to create opportunities for the good people of Pennsylvania. Those opportunities are minimized when things cost more, when people can't get ahead, when people can't get by, and the federal government has been making it harder for people to get by.”
ON FEDERAL TARIFFS RAISING PRICES FOR PENNSYLVANIANS:
"I'm worried about the good people of Pennsylvania, who are getting absolutely screwed by this administration. Right? Eggs cost more, blueberries cost more, ground beef cost more when you go to the market. This was supposedly an election about how we are going to bring down costs, and today, “Liberation Day” or whatever Trump's calling it, we're now going to see prices go further up. So, they're making excuses now. They're hiding behind a few economists that they can wrap their arms around and give all these theories to the American people. I don't live in theory. I live in reality, and the reality is Donald Trump's economic policies are making things harder for the good people of Pennsylvania.”
ON STANDING UP FOR FARMERS, BUSINESSES, AND WORKERS AGAINST FEDERAL TARIFFS AND CHARTING A BETTER PATH FORWARD:
"I'm the governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and I was elected by the good people of Pennsylvania as they elected Donald Trump as well. I'd love to work with him in order to help move our nation forward, but he's making our lives harder here in Pennsylvania. I think the answer is what we're doing. Cutting costs and cutting taxes. Creating business opportunity. I've been Governor for two years. We brought in over $4 billion of private sector investment, a record for us in this Commonwealth. I'm an all-of-the-above energy governor; we need to generate more energy in Pennsylvania, in order to be able to be more competitive. We're investing a record amount in our public schools because we know the foundation for opportunity starts in our classrooms. You want to be competitive a decade from now? Show me your balance sheet in your schools today. We're doing this work right now to be competitive tomorrow. And I wish I had a partner in the federal government who wanted to do that work with us. Unfortunately, they’re making it harder for us.”
Read what Pennsylvanians are saying about Governor Shapiro’s action to invest in ag innovation, main streets, businesses, and the Commonwealth’s workforce amid new federal tariffs:
Nate Metzler, General Manager at Metzler Forest Products: "We are grateful to Governor Shapiro, his Administration, and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture for investing in our state's agricultural and forest products industry. This funding will enable us to make large-scale capacity upgrades to our biochar production facility and expand into new product lines. By strengthening the market for low-grade forest resources, this investment supports Pennsylvania’s forestry sector while allowing us to innovate and lead the way in biochar production — delivering real benefits to farmers across the state."
Scott Hurst, President of Bingaman & Son Lumber: "As the operator of three hardwood sawmills and two concentration yards across the Commonwealth, Bingaman & Son Lumber is pleased with this administration’s commitment to innovation in the wood products industry through the Ag Innovation Grant Program. Improving our processes helps us compete globally against wood substitutes, which have a significantly greater carbon impact."
Stephanie Phillips-Taggart, Executive Director of the Keystone Wood Products Association: “The Pennsylvania Agricultural Innovation Grant Program enhances the vitality of KWPA member companies: A.M. Logging, Bingaman and Son Lumber, Forcey Lumber, Metzler Forest Products, and Woodland Biomass Innovations. These successes are all possible because of the diligence and determination of the forest product companies, backed by the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to innovation. With such support, the Pennsylvania forest products industry will remain a national leader in the production of hardwood and exports well into the future.”
Nick Gilson, Founder and CEO of Gilson Snow: “At GILSON, we are deeply focused on American innovation, and we are committed to strengthening our American workforce. I am grateful that we get to work at the intersection of emerging manufacturing technology and a thriving hardwoods industry here in Pennsylvania. I am also grateful for the continued support of the Shapiro Administration as we look to grow and strengthen American jobs and the Pennsylvania economy.”
Jeff Fegley, Owner of Fegley’s Brew Works: "The Brew Works was established in 1998, and we're about to celebrate our 27th anniversary. We chose this location right here on Main Street because of the natural flow of people coming through town. It's an incredible, historic downtown—if you've never been to Bethlehem before, we have a phenomenal historic hotel, great places to get ice cream, and a super walkable, beautiful downtown. That was the main reason we picked this spot. Obviously, there are some real concerns right now about the economy, the future, and specifically these tariffs, which are a major issue for small businesses like mine. It’s a big unknown how they’ll impact us — we have ingredients that come from Canada and other sources that could see price increases overnight. I'm glad the Governor is here to talk about this because I know it’s something he’s concerned about as well."
Beau Baden, Owner of Sherman Street Beer Company: “We’re a mom-and-pop operation — my wife and I run it day to day — and we’ve built a great community in our neighborhood. We love being a meeting place for folks and seeing people come in every day to connect. We’ve been in business for four years and have navigated plenty of challenges, but now we’re facing a new hurdle with these tariffs. This is going to add costs for us — our suppliers will pass their increased costs down to us. Cans are a big part of our business, and beer has to go into something, whether it’s a can, keg, or another container. So now we have to figure out how to offset these costs. Do we absorb them ourselves, even though small businesses like ours operate on razor-thin profit margins of just five to ten percent? Or do we pass them on to consumers, who are also price-sensitive right now? It’s a tough decision, and we want to keep growing and expanding. If we need to buy more tanks, that’s another cost to consider. I know a lot of other small breweries and business owners are facing the same challenge, just trying to sustain what they’ve built."
Jim Snell, Business Manager for Steamfitters Local 420: "For over 120 years, Steamfitters Local 420 has trained the best, most highly qualified workers in the greater Philadelphia region — and thanks to the support of Governor Shapiro, we're now able expand our operations and our impact. This $5 million investment from Governor Shapiro will help us build a state-of-the-art training center right here in Northeast Philly, allowing us to train an additional 30 apprentices, creating opportunity for more Pennsylvanians and growing the Commonwealth's economy. We're proud to have a Governor here in Pennsylvania who supports the building trades and is focused on commonsense investments to expand our workforce and grow our economy."
See what Pennsylvanians are reading and watching regarding Governor Shapiro’s action to invest in ag innovation, main streets, businesses, and the Commonwealth’s workforce amid new federal tariffs:
ABC27: Shapiro, Pennsylvania brace for tariffs on Mexico, Canada, China
FOX43: Trump tariffs leave Pa. agriculture industry bracing for impact
Erie Times: Funding cuts and tariffs: What federal shakeups could mean for Pennsylvania agriculture
CBS21: Shapiro appealing Trump decision to terminate contract that 'benefits' farmers, food banks
MSNBC: Gov. Shapiro: Trump tariffs “dumbest economic decision”
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Gov. Shapiro wants you to know he’s pushing back on Trump
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Gov. Shapiro slams Trump tariff proposal as “disastrous, reckless policy”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Shapiro says Trump’s tariffs are 'just a tax on consumers'
Politics PA: Shapiro Critical of Trump Tariffs and Effects on Commonwealth
CBS3: Trump's tariffs draws strong criticism from Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro
WJAC: Governor Shapiro blasts Trump's tariff plan as harmful to Pennsylvania's small businesses
WGAL: Gov. Shapiro criticizes Trump administration tariffs
PennLive: Trump’s tariffs are ‘raising costs on people,’ Pa. Gov. Shapiro says
WDIY: Governor Highlights Business Support in Bethlehem
Lehigh Valley Business: Shapiro visits Brew Works to highlight small business needs
WNEP: Governor Shapiro discusses impact of tariffs during brewery visit in Northampton County
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