SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
A top official with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce issued a sharp warning Wednesday, saying President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs are creating serious economic headwinds and driving up costs for American consumers and businesses. The remarks came during the 11th annual State of the Economy event at the Saenger Theatre in Mobile, marking a rare public criticism from a major business group amid widespread corporate silence on the administration’s trade strategy.
“Tariffs are a tax,” said Tom Wickham, vice president and managing director of government affairs for the U.S. Chamber. “We’ve opposed broad tariffs for over 100 years. The tariffs by the Trump administration are particularly impactful.”
Wickham said the administration’s policy amounts to a potential $600 billion annual tax increase, including $202 billion hitting small businesses. Alabama is deeply affected, he said, with 4,500 state companies relying on imports totaling roughly $10 billion each year.
“What we are seeing is that tariffs are causing prices to increase,” Wickham said. “You who shop know this.”
A chart he presented showed stubborn inflation: coffee up 20.9%, ground beef up 12.8%, and bananas up 6.6%. While tariffs on those items were eased last week, Wickham said exemptions have been far more limited than during Trump’s first term.
Mobile’s Boom Continues—But Risks Loom
Despite national turbulence, Mobile leaders described the region’s economic moment as a “golden age.” Construction, manufacturing, logistics and health care are surging, with Mobile County’s GDP growth nearly double the national average.
“The economy is strong right now,” said David Rodgers, vice president of economic development with the Mobile Chamber. “It’s bullish heading into 2026. But we must continue eliminating labor-force barriers and attracting new and expanding business.”
Rodgers warned, however, that Mobile remains vulnerable. Consumer demand has dropped 24% nationally, and tariffs threaten industries tied to the Alabama State Port.
“The uncertainty is a fear,” Rodgers said. “The majority of our businesses are negatively impacted by tariffs.”
Chamber Pushes Back Nationally
Wickham said businesses nationwide are “running in place” because of tariff uncertainty, political volatility and global conflicts.
“That uncertainty lays over the U.S. economy like a blanket and stifles growth,” he said.
The Chamber is also suing the administration over Trump’s new $100,000 fee on H-1B visas, a dramatic increase from the usual few thousand dollars paid by employers.
“That did not comport with law,” Wickham said.
Even so, the Chamber backs major elements of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” including permanent pass-through tax deductions, expanded child-care tax credits and $50 billion in federal support for rural hospitals, which Alabama has already applied to access.