Governor Kathy Hochul held a roundtable with business leaders and farmers from the North Country on March 10 to discuss the challenges they have faced over the past year due to tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. The meeting followed a Supreme Court decision that ruled the President’s International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariffs unlawful. Hochul has called for the federal government to return an estimated $13.5 billion that she said was illegally collected from New Yorkers.
The roundtable participants described how economic uncertainty and a decrease in border crossings have affected their families’ finances and made it difficult to plan for the future. Hochul said, “The Trump administration not only illegally took $13.5 billion from New Yorkers, but their tariff policies have also impacted tourism here in the North Country — causing small businesses and farmers to feel yet another financial burden.” She added, “Enough is enough — it is time that the federal government refunds the money and helps our businesses, farmers, and families get back on their feet.”
Steve Lawrence, Executive Director of the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority (OBPA), moderated the discussion. Participants included Mayor Michael Tooley of Ogdensburg; Anthony Adamczyk, OBPA Director of Economic Development; Ben Dixon, Executive Director of St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce; Corey Fram, Director of 1000 Islands International Tourism Council; Scott Hilyard, Business Manager at LiUNA Local1822; Yen Maine, owner of Nature’s Storehouse and Adirondack Fragrance; and Ron Robbins, farmer and owner of Old McDonald’s Farm and Robbins Family Grain.
Hochul has been meeting with New Yorkers throughout the past year about how tariffs have affected them. She recently visited Victor Schwartz, owner of VOS Selections and a plaintiff in a lawsuit that led to the Supreme Court ruling. On that same day, she sent a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urging immediate action to refund all tariff payments to New Yorkers.
Estimates from Yale’s Budget Lab indicate that since last year’s enactment of tariffs, each New York household has paid an average of $1,751 in additional costs—totaling approximately $13.5 billion statewide. Tariffs and other actions toward Canada led to significant reductions in crossings at the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge: there was a 23 percent decrease in border crossings in 2025 compared to 2024 (135,757 fewer crossings), resulting in a 34.9 percent drop in toll revenue for OBPA—about $536,000 less than the previous year.
As part of her 2026 State of the State agenda while continuing efforts for federal refunds, Hochul proposed $30 million in state tariff relief aimed at supporting affected farmers across New York. Despite recent legal developments overturning these tariffs, many farmers continue facing higher equipment costs and other ongoing challenges.