NAFEM tariff survey findings sent to national media, elected officials

More than 80 percent of respondents to a recent NAFEM member survey reported that tariffs on Chinese imports and imported steel/aluminum are negatively impacting their businesses. Members also said the tariffs are causing material costs to rise anywhere from 6 to 15 percent, impacting their abilities to compete and hurting sales. As part of its continued effort to draw attention to how tariffs are impacting U.S. businesses, NAFEM issued a press release on the survey findings and shared results with a variety of elected officials.

“The survey clearly demonstrates that tariffs are negatively impacting U.S. businesses, which doesn’t bode well for U.S. jobs and a strong economy, said NAFEM President Joe Carlson, CFSP, president, Lakeside Manufacturing, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis. “Trade wars have no winners. Now is the time for talks, not tariffs. We’re encouraged by recent Congressional action to work toward a solution to unfair trade practices (see article below). We need a solution that does not include tariffs that ultimately hurt American workers and consumers.”

According to the Congressional Management Foundation, direct constituent interactions have more influence on lawmakers decisions than any other advocacy strategy. To help members easily reach out to elected officials, NAFEM also created a new tariffs Advocacy Toolkit.

For the full survey report or to share your stories of how tariffs are impacting your business, contact Charlie Souhrada by email or call 1.312.820.0212.