BRADFORD, Vt. — During a recent Upper Valley stop, U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., described the scene in Washington as “chaotic” since the Trump administration took over two weeks ago.

“It’s very difficult to get information,” she said.

In her conversations with Vermonters during her travels around the state last week, Balint said there is a lot of anxiety in the business community about Trump’s proposed tariffs with the country’s largest trade partners, even before the president had announced he was imposing them on Saturday.

“Businesses don’t feel good about a trade war, especially one with Canada,” Balint said last Thursday during a tour of MVP Robotics, which is located on Industrial Drive near Route 5 and which recently earned a $226.4 million contract with the U.S. Marine Corps.

Balint’s visit to Bradford took place before President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 25% tariff on all imports from Mexico and most goods from Canada (with an exception for energy-related products from Canada which will have a 10% tariff), and an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods imported into the United States.

The tariffs are meant to be used “as a tool to secure our borders against illegal migration and combat the scourge of fentanyl,” according to information released by the White House on Saturday.

But on Monday, Trump announced the tariffs against Canada and Mexico were being put on hold. He struck deals with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to pause tariffs on Mexico and Canada for a month. As of Monday evening, the tariffs on China were still planned to take effect Tuesday.

Among those concerned business owners is Quinn Connell, co-founder and CEO of MVP Robotics, who said Thursday he is worried about the cost of materials rising.

“Even after the first round of tariffs, it’s still too expensive to source the materials here,” Connell said in reference to tariffs Trump imposed during his first term, some of which the Biden administration kept in place.

Although the company uses domestic materials whenever possible, Connell said he is concerned about the cost of the electric mobility components, which are not made in the U.S., used in the company’s robotic tackling dummies.

MVP Robotics builds robots for practicing football tackles and combat scenarios. The robots are used by the National Football League along with college and high school teams across the country to reduce player injuries during practice. The U.S. military uses similar robots to simulate shooting at enemy soldiers. The contract with the Marine Corps will help the company with its expansion efforts, Connell said.

Founded in 2015, MVP Robotics began as a collaboration between late Dartmouth football coach Buddy Teevens, college athletes, and a group of engineers from Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering. Ten years later, the company has 19 employees and is privately owned by a group of founders, employees and investors.

Using a remote control, Balint took one of the robots for a spin. The robots used for target practice have a box-shaped base with four all-terrain wheels that can move up to 20 mph. A dummy of a human torso extends from the base.

“Very impressive,” she said. “It’s so easy to use.”

Elected to the House in 2022 and re-elected last November, Balint is the first woman and openly LGBTQ+ person to represent Vermont in Congress. She now serves on the House Judiciary and House Budget Committees.

In addition to the tariffs, Trump has issued a flurry of executive orders targeting LGBTQ+ citizens, immigrants lacking permanent legal status and diversity, equity and inclusion programs since taking office two weeks ago.

“We need predictability and stability,” Balint said.

With Republicans controlling the White House, and holding majorities in both the House and Senate, Balint said she is “hopeful” for bipartisan collaboration. But she doesn’t think it will be easy. In an interview with the Valley News, Balint mentioned the longstanding housing crisis, combating opioid addiction, and increasing mental health support as issues she hopes she and her colleagues across the political aisle can tackle together.

“I always have hope,” Balint said. “You can’t give up on that.”

Emma Roth-Wells can be r eached at erothwells@vnews.com or 603-727-3242.