A number of small and midsize US manufacturers are reporting a spike in new orders as businesses move to avoid newly imposed tariffs by President Donald Trump.
As Trump’s tariffs have dramatically reshaped global trade, some American manufacturers are applauding the policies for helping them compete with foreign imports more effectively than in years past.
“We are swamped. We are running 24 hours a day, seven days a week in both Chicago and Cleveland,” said Jack Schron, president of Jergens Inc., a tool manufacturer. According to The Wall Street Journal, Schron said his Ohio and Illinois factories are “going like gangbusters” due to a surge in orders from companies looking to sidestep import tariffs and a rise in defense-related demand over the past 18 months.
The Trump administration has defended the tariffs as a strategy to revitalize US manufacturing, despite critics warning the policy could lead to higher prices for American consumers. The uncertainty surrounding how long the tariffs will stay in place is also causing hesitation among manufacturers. Schron noted his company is reluctant to expand hiring out of fear that the tariffs could be rolled back.
Larger manufacturers are also seeing potential benefits. Whirlpool, which produces 80 percent of its US appliances domestically, has argued that Asian competitors have enjoyed an unfair edge in the market since import tariffs from Trump’s first term expired in 2023. Whirlpool claims these competitors have been able to access cheaper Asian components, giving them a $150 retail price advantage on washers.
“The tariffs will finally help create a level playing field for Whirlpool,” CEO Marc Bitzer told analysts last month. However, the company anticipates a 2.4 percent increase in its own costs this year due to tariffs on components it uses and plans to manage that by cutting certain expenses and price increases.
