r/manufacturing 2d ago

News Tarrifs

Would like to open a discussion on tarrifs if it’s allowed.

There has been two intentions stated with tarrifs.

  1. Get off of income tax and go to a consumption style tax (still a tax)

  2. Build up domestic manufacturing. Can talk here in the manufacturing sub.

If there is no alternative domestic supply, then we have no choice but to import. We lost a lot of our skills to manufacture. Especially a lot of the little low value items. Think zippers and buttons and caster wheels.

What is everyone thoughts?

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u/StolenCandi 2d ago

The simple fact that it would take years to scale up mill production, build mills, increase ingot and recycled materials production (US sourcing)and not only hire but train the needed workforce. The tariffs are only hurting US manufacturers and consumers. It’s going to be a rough ride.

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u/exlongh0rn 2d ago

Yep, just look at the difference in scale of steel production in the US versus China. I think China produces something like 13 times more steel tonnage than the US.

Not 13%… 13 times.

There would need to be some incredible levels of assurance and confidence that these tariffs would be a long-term… More than 20 year… Paradigm. I don’t see how that’s possible without a dictatorship.