WASHINGTON – On a conference call with reporters, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer today doubled down on his push to the U.S. Department of Commerce to reverse course from their decision to impose harmful duties on groundwood paper, the raw material used by New York’s already at-risk upstate and local newspaper companies for newsprint.

Schumer noted this ingredient is not made by any producers in the northeast and said printing companies and newspapers across New York are already being negatively affected by Department of Commerce’s preliminary duties of this paper. He indicated that they would suffer even more should they be made permanent in Commerce’s final determination on August 1.

In addition, Schumer explained that the meteoric rise of digital media has already pushed many small and regional newspapers to the brink of extinction, and that these unwise and unjust tariffs could push them over the edge. A recent survey from the News Media Alliance of New York newspapers found that, on average, New York newspapers have cut an average of 6 pages from their publications.

“From the Buffalo News, to the Poughkeepsie Journal and the Syracuse Post-Standard to the Watertown Daily Times, Upstate New York’s hometown papers are fundamental to an informed citizenry, healthy communities and a vibrant democracy," he said.