Vermont

Vermont's small, specialized economy faces outsized tariff impacts relative to its tiny population. GlobalFoundries' Essex Junction fab — the state's largest private employer and manufacturer — produces semiconductors for defense and automotive applications using imported materials and equipment subject to tariffs; the fab's viability as a standalone operation becomes harder when input costs rise. Vermont is the #1 maple syrup producer in the US (47% of national production), and retaliatory tariffs on this iconic product in Asian and European markets threaten the $200M+ industry that defines the state's brand. Vermont's dairy farms, which give the state its pastoral character, are already struggling with low milk prices; tariffs on dairy equipment and retaliatory barriers on cheese and milk powder exports add pressure. The state's craft beer and specialty food industries (Ben & Jerry's, Cabot Creamery) import ingredients subject to tariffs while exporting products to markets with retaliatory barriers. Vermont's proximity to Quebec creates cross-border trade dependencies now disrupted by broader North American tensions. The state's green energy sector depends on imported solar panels and wind components subject to steep tariffs.