By Chuck Slothower January 8, 2025
A national organization of contractors said Wednesday that it’s working to head off tariffs threatened by the incoming Trump administration that the construction industry fears will add to costs and undermine a humming economy.
“Yes, we’ve been talking about it with the (Trump administration) transition teams; we’ve been talking about it with the people we know who have relationships with the (president-elect),” said Brian Turmail, spokesman for the Associated General Contractors of America. “We’ve been talking about it on Capitol Hill. And if anyone tells you they know what the (president-elect) is thinking, I would not buy real estate from them.”
AGC is also lobbying Trump associates to rescind President Biden’s rule requiring project labor agreements on major federal projects, and to limit contractors’ liability for chemicals known as PFAS.
“Bottom line is our members pay us to advocate for their interests, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Turmail said.
Contractors depend on softwood lumber from Canada, wastewater treatment machinery from Europe and labor from south of the border. Trump’s threats to enact 25 percent tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, and 10 percent on other nations, have raised alarm in the construction industry.