Updated at 5:16 p.m. on Monday, July 14, 2025.
Gov. Jared Polis is among U.S. governors examining ways to limit economic disruptions from President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.
On Monday, Polis issued an executive order in partnership with the state’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade and state agencies to create the Colorado Tariff Burden Reduction Task Force. The task force aims to develop strategies to reduce the impact of tariffs across different sectors of Colorado’s economy.
Polis said the goal is to come up with hard numbers to quantify the economic damage caused by higher tariffs. The governor told CPR News hard data should help further the case against the tariffs and for open markets.
“America should pursue trade opportunities rather than impose unilateral tariffs,” he said.
Colorado is one of a dozen states challenging Trump’s tariff policy in court, arguing his actions are illegal and subject to his “whims rather than the sound exercise of lawful authority.”
Polis plans to share the task force’s work with members of Congress in the hopes of spurring lawmakers to act. But the governor acknowledged the limited role states have in setting trade policy, which is a federal responsibility.
“The best thing we can do is speak out against him and convince the president to change his mind on this enormous act of economic self-sabotage through these huge tax increases.”
The Trump administration’s unpredictable tariff strategy is increasing costs and uncertainty in key Colorado industries, including aerospace manufacturing, agriculture, and health care, according to a statement announcing the order.
“In response to the harm caused by increased costs for Colorado consumers and manufacturers stemming from U.S. Tariff Policy, I am directing relevant State agencies to take action to mitigate such harms. The State should make all efforts to collect and analyze data related to U.S. Tariff Policy and the harms imposed on Colorado consumers and manufacturers to inform recommendations for how to protect Coloradans and our economy in this volatile time,” the executive order states.
Other Democratic governors taking similar actions include JB Pritzker of Illinois, Katie Hobbs of Arizona, Kathy Hochul of New York, Tina Kotek of Oregon and Bob Ferguson of Washington.
“Governors know these senseless tariffs are causing costs to go up on everything from groceries to clothes and making business investment more and more uncertain,” Polis said in a joint statement from Gov. JB Pritzker’s office. “Together, we are taking action to help reduce the impact of the President’s tariff madness on states, businesses and economies.”
Trump’s National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett appeared on ABC News’ “This Week” to talk up the president’s tariff policies.
“The Congressional Budget Office has said that tariff revenue over the next 10 years will help reduce the deficit and secure our entitlement programs,” said Hassett.
He also noted that the Consumer Price Index has so far remained low in the face of the president’s earlier rounds of tariffs. An updated inflation report due Tuesday could show if that continues to be the case.
“What President Trump has always said is that the foreign suppliers, the foreign governments, are going to bear most of the tariffs. It's being visibly seen,” said Hassett, while also noting that the low inflation is boosting the administration’s ability to push for more favorable trade deals.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated with quotes from CPR News' interview with Gov. Polis.
