U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison Leads Effort to Fight Back Against President Trump's Harmful Cost Increases on Car Seats and Other Essential Items for Families

BROOKLYN PARK – Today, U.S. Representative Kelly Morrison (MN-03) is leading a group of 45 legislators calling on the Trump-Vance Administration to exempt essential baby products like car seats, highchairs, strollers, and cribs from his tariff wars. In a new letter to Commerce Secretary Lutnick, Rep. Morrison and her colleagues are expressing their serious concern about the impact of the Trump Administration’s trade policy on American families with babies and toddlers.

President Trump’s sweeping tariffs on goods imported from Canada, Mexico, and China will force families to pay even more for products that are necessary to care for young children – including car seats, highchairs, strollers, and cribs. These products are essential items to care for young children and keep them safe. Families with babies and toddlers already spend around $20,000 in the first year alone, including nearly $1,000 on baby safety gear. Tariffs on essentials like highchairs, cribs, strollers, and car seats – which are required by law – will only make it harder for parents to afford the basics.

Rep. Morrison joined local families and members of PICA Head Start in Brooklyn Park to announce this new effort and highlight the rising costs and challenges facing Minnesota families from President Trump’s harmful economic agenda.

“Today we’re making loud and clear: Minnesota families do not want to foot the bill for President Trump’s reckless trade wars. President Trump’s tariffs will force families to pay more for the essential products they need to care for their kids and keep them safe. You shouldn’t have to pay more for a car seat or a crib. We are fighting back for Minnesota families,” said Congresswoman Kelly Morrison.

 

 

 

The Honorable Howard Lutnick

Secretary

U.S. Department of Commerce

1401 Constitution Avenue NW

Washington, DC  20230

Dear Secretary Lutnick,

We write with serious concern about the impact of the Trump Administration’s trade policy on American families with babies and toddlers. As you know, the Administration has issued blanket tariffs on goods imported from Canada, Mexico, and China. We fear that these tariffs will raise the cost of goods necessary to care for young children, such as car seats, highchairs, strollers, and cribs. We urge you to work with the President either to take executive action or to create a waiver process to consider exemptions for these products.

President Trump campaigned on the promise to “bring down the price of everything” for working families. In September, Vice-President Vance stated his desire to pursue a “pro-family” agenda, noting that he wants to “make it easier for moms to afford to have babies.”[1] Despite these promises, the costs of food, shelter, and health care have continued to rise in the early months of the Trump Administration. We remain concerned that the Administration’s tariffs will exacerbate the cost of caring for babies and toddlers. According to a recent survey conducted by BabyCenter, it costs about $20,000 for new parents to care for their newborn during their first year – including nearly $1,000 on baby safety gear.[2] Absent an exemption and investment in American manufacturing of these products, these tariffs will force families to pay even more to purchase these products, which are essential to care for young children and keep them safe.

For parents, car seats, highchairs, strollers, and cribs are not optional purchases – they are necessities. American families should not be forced to choose between their livelihoods and reliance on poor quality baby gear. In addition, we are particularly sensitive to the cost of car seats because all 50 states have laws designed to protect children traveling in motor vehicles. Families should not have to pay more to comply with the laws that help keep their babies and toddlers safe.

We acknowledge that tariffs, when used effectively, are an essential tool to protect American workers from unfair trade practices, reshore American jobs and manufacturing, and defend our national security. However, we worry that the Administration’s blunt approach will undermine these goals and leave parents with fewer affordable options to keep their babies safe.

Notably, the first Trump Administration has previously recognized the necessity of excluding baby safety products from tariffs, when the United States Trade Representative exempted some of these goods from Section 301 tariffs in 2018.[3] We hope that the Administration will take to heart its promise to lower costs for American families by taking similar action to exempt these products from its blanket tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China and invest in American-made baby safety products.

Thank you for your attention to this important issue and we look forward to your response.