WASHINGTON — As president, Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on foreign steel, which negatively impacted Clips & Clamps Industries, a Michigan auto supplier. This led to increased materials prices, a tougher competitive environment with overseas rivals, and the loss of several contracts.
Jeff Aznavorian, the company’s president, hoped for relief when Joe Biden assumed the presidency.
However, Biden largely kept Trump’s tariffs intact, including those on steel, aluminum, and a range of goods from China.
“It was unexpected that an administration with a different ideology would maintain the policies so closely,” Aznavorian remarked.
A 2024 Ford F-150 truck is assembled April 11 at the Dearborn Truck Plant in Dearborn, Mich. President Joe Biden and Donald Trump agree on essentially nothing, yet the two presumptive presidential nominees have embraced similar approaches on trade. Tariffs and other trade measures have a big impact on manufacturing states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
Trump and Biden may differ on most issues, but they share a common approach on trade, favoring protectionist policies. Whether Biden or Trump wins the presidency, it appears that the United States will continue to follow a protectionist trade policy.
Recently, Biden announced new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, advanced batteries, and other products to prevent the influx of cheap imports from Beijing.
This protectionist stance reflects the widely-held belief that increased imports, particularly from China, have negatively impacted American manufacturing jobs. This issue is crucial in industrial states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, which are key battlegrounds in determining the election outcome.
“It’s clear
