US companies link layoffs to President Trump’s tariffs — Fortune
In the United States, some manufacturing companies and workers link plant closures and staff cuts to rising costs of imported components due to President Donald Trump’s tariffs. This was reported by Fortune.
In Zeeland, Michigan, clock manufacturer Howard Miller closed its factory after more than a century of operation, sold its inventory and brand, and laid off nearly 200 employees. Former product designer Nelson VanderMey, who voted for the Republican Party for decades, lost his job. According to him, the company depended on parts made abroad. At the same time, even before the tariffs were introduced, the company faced difficulties due to declining demand for expensive clocks.
Layoffs in several states
In Iowa, RV manufacturer Winnebago Industries cut 200 jobs last year after costs for importing aluminum, steel and electronics rose by tens of millions of dollars. Company CEO Michael Happe called the situation a daily struggle.
Home appliance manufacturer Vornado Air of Wichita, Kansas, laid off more than 70 factory workers in February, citing higher prices for imported components. CEO Cole Goppeck said Trump’s tariffs affected “virtually everything.”
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As Fortune writes, Trump’s trade policy may also soon lead to cuts at Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier, which has more than 1,000 employees in Kansas. Trump threatened to ban the company’s aircraft from being sold in the United States unless it begins manufacturing all its aircraft in the country.
Voter and White House reaction
Tariff policy has become an issue in election races in Michigan, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Some surveyed workers who previously supported Republicans said they might vote for Democrats. At the same time, some voters plan to continue supporting the Republican Party, considering tariffs to be only one of the political issues.
According to a September poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, about three in ten U.S. adults approved of Trump’s handling of trade negotiations, compared with four in ten in March. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said an industrial boom is underway in the country, citing increased manufacturing and employment in industrial construction.
The publication notes that tariffs are not the only reason for job losses in manufacturing: factories had been cutting staff for decades before they were introduced.
