US Companies Struggle Under Trump's Tariffs

Financial burdens are mounting for Doughrendt Aluminum Products Manufacturing in Ohio, after tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump cost the company millions of dollars in additional annual expenses, before the war with Iran further increased shipping costs.

Rendy is the CEO of Shapes Unlimited, one of many American manufacturing companies suffering the repercussions of Trump’s economic policies as the midterm congressional elections approach.

Rendy told Agence France-Presse (AFP), “Frustration is the word that best describes the situation.”

He added, “I think we are feeling a decline in confidence, not only in the administration, but also in the functioning of the government and the role of Congress in checking the executive branch.”

Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has used his executive powers to impose tariffs on various products and imports from several countries.

While some American industrial companies have benefited from increased trade barriers against foreign competitors, others face significant cost increases and persistent uncertainty.

Concerns have intensified amid the escalating trade war between Trump and Canada, alongside the conflict with Iran.

Opposition to Trump’s trade policies has become one of the contentious issues Democrats hope will work in their favor as they seek to regain control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives in the November elections.

Rendy’s company, based in North Jackson, Ohio, manufactures and distributes aluminum products used in construction fittings, such as fencing.

Trump’s tariffs on aluminum have gradually increased, from 10 percent during his first term to 25 percent, and then to 50 percent last year, impacting Rendy’s business.

He said, “Just this year, additional costs range between $4.5 million and $5 million.”

He noted that additional shipping charges reach “more than $6,500 per container” of goods from suppliers.

As a result, he has paused new hiring while increasing investments in robotic assembly.

Sam Miller, owner of another industrial company in Ohio that produces kitchen and bathroom supplies, faces pressure from both sides due to Trump’s trade wars. He pays tariffs on materials imported from Asia, while expanding into the Canadian market has become more difficult due to trade tensions.

Miller told AFP from inside his factory in Warren, while a nearby machine cut materials used for manufacturing kitchen countertops, “It has been difficult for companies to cope with this situation.”

Although Miller received refunds after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down many of Trump’s tariffs, the American president later reimposed a large number of them.