Latest news with #IndependentCan
Free Malaysia Today
8 hours ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Trump metal tariffs wreak havoc on US factory
US steel manufacturers expect to raise prices by more than 20%. (EPA Images pic) BELCAMP : In the sweltering US summer, metal containers decorated with snowmen and sleighs are taking shape – but tempers are also rising as their manufacturer grapples with president Donald Trump's steep steel tariffs. At Independent Can's factory in Belcamp, Maryland, northeast of Baltimore, CEO Rick Huether recounts how he started working at his family's business at age 14. Huether, now 73, says he is determined to keep his manufacturing company afloat for generations to come. But Trump's tariffs are complicating this task. 'We're living in chaos right now,' he told AFP. Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump imposed tariffs of 25% on imported steel and aluminium – and then doubled the rate to 50%. This has weighed on operations at Independent Can, and Huether expects he eventually will have to raise prices. With the steady beat of presses, steel plates that have been coated with tin – to prevent corrosion – are turned into containers for cookies, dried fruit, coffee and milk powder at Huether's factory. But there is not enough of such American-made tinplate for companies like his. 'In the US we can only make about 25% of the tinplate that's required to do what we do,' in addition to what other manufacturers need, Huether said. 'Those all require us to buy in the neighbourhood of 70% of our steel outside of the US,' he added. While Huether is a proponent of growing the US manufacturing base, saying globalisation has 'gone almost a little bit too far', he expressed concern about Trump's methods. Trump has announced a stream of major tariffs only to later back off parts of them or postpone them and also imposed duties on items the country does not produce. For now, Independent Can – which employs nearly 400 people at four sites – is ruling out any layoffs despite the current upheaval. But Huether said one of the company's plants in Iowa closed last year in part because of a previous increase in steel tariffs during Trump's first presidential term. With steel tariffs at 50% now, Huether expects he will ultimately have to raise his prices by more than 20%, given that tinplate represents a part of his production costs. Some buyers have already reduced their orders this year by 20 to 25% over worries about the economy and about not having enough business themselves. Others now seem more inclined to buy American, but Huether expressed reservations over how long this trend might last, citing his experiences from the Covid-19 crisis. 'During the pandemic, we took everybody in. As China shut down and the ports were locked up, our business went up 50%,' he explained. But when the pandemic was over, customers turned back to purchasing from China, he said. 'Today if people want to come to us, we'll take them in,' he said, but added, 'We need to have a two-year contract.' Huether wants to believe that his company, which is almost a century old after being founded during the Great Depression, will weather the latest disruptions. 'I think that our business will survive,' he said, but added, 'It's trying to figure out what you're going to sell in the next six months.'
The Sun
13 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
US factory struggles with Trump steel tariffs impact
BELCAMP: The sweltering summer heat at Independent Can's Maryland factory contrasts sharply with the snowman-decorated metal containers taking shape on the production line. But the real tension stems from President Donald Trump's steep steel tariffs, now doubled to 50%, which CEO Rick Huether says are wreaking havoc on his business. Huether, 73, who began working at his family's company at age 14, is determined to keep the nearly century-old firm afloat. However, Trump's tariffs on imported steel and aluminum have complicated operations, forcing Huether to consider price hikes of over 20%. 'We're living in chaos right now,' Huether told AFP. The factory, which employs nearly 400 workers across four sites, relies heavily on imported tinplate—a steel variant coated with tin to prevent rust. Yet, US production meets only 25% of the demand, leaving manufacturers like Independent Can dependent on foreign suppliers. While Huether supports strengthening US manufacturing, he criticizes Trump's unpredictable tariff policies. 'Those all require us to buy in the neighborhood of 70 percent of our steel outside of the United States,' he said. The tariffs have already led to a 20-25% drop in orders as customers brace for economic uncertainty. The company's Iowa plant shut down last year partly due to earlier tariff hikes. Now, with costs soaring, Huether fears history may repeat itself. Some buyers are shifting to American-made products, but Huether remains skeptical. 'During the pandemic, we took everybody in... our business went up 50 percent,' he said. Yet, post-pandemic, clients returned to cheaper Chinese alternatives. Huether insists on long-term contracts to mitigate risks. 'We need to have a two-year contract,' he said. Despite the challenges, he remains hopeful. 'I think that our business will survive,' he added, though navigating the next six months remains uncertain.
Asharq Al-Awsat
14 hours ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Trump Metal Tariffs Wreak Havoc on US Factory
In the sweltering US summer, metal containers decorated with snowmen and sleighs are taking shape -- but tempers are also rising as their manufacturer grapples with President Donald Trump's steep steel tariffs. At Independent Can's factory in Belcamp, Maryland northeast of Baltimore, CEO Rick Huether recounts how he started working at his family's business at age 14. Huether, now 73, says he is determined to keep his manufacturing company afloat for generations to come. But Trump's tariffs are complicating this task. "We're living in chaos right now," he told AFP. Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump imposed tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and aluminum -- and then doubled the rate to 50 percent. This has weighed on operations at Independent Can, and Huether expects he eventually will have to raise prices. Not enough tinplate With the steady beat of presses, steel plates that have been coated with tin -- to prevent corrosion -- are turned into containers for cookies, dried fruit, coffee and milk powder at Huether's factory. But there is not enough of such American-made tinplate for companies like his. "In the United States, we can only make about 25 percent of the tinplate that's required to do what we do," in addition to what other manufacturers need, Huether said. "Those all require us to buy in the neighborhood of 70 percent of our steel outside of the United States," he added. While Huether is a proponent of growing the US manufacturing base, saying globalization has "gone almost a little bit too far," he expressed concern about Trump's methods. Trump has announced a stream of major tariffs only to later back off parts of them or postpone them, and also imposed duties on items the country does not produce. For now, Independent Can -- which employs nearly 400 people at four sites -- is ruling out any layoffs despite the current upheaval. But Huether said one of the company's plants in Iowa closed last year in part because of a previous increase in steel tariffs, during Trump's first presidential term. Price hikes With steel tariffs at 50 percent now, Huether expects he will ultimately have to raise his prices by more than 20 percent, given that tinplate represents a part of his production costs. Some buyers have already reduced their orders this year by 20 to 25 percent, over worries about the economy and about not having enough business themselves. Others now seem more inclined to buy American, but Huether expressed reservations over how long this trend might last, citing his experiences from the Covid-19 crisis. "During the pandemic, we took everybody in. As China shut down and the ports were locked up, our business went up 50 percent," he explained. But when the pandemic was over, customers turned back to purchasing from China, he said. "Today if people want to come to us, we'll take them in," he said, but added: "We need to have a two-year contract." Huether wants to believe that his company, which is almost a century old after being founded during the Great Depression, will weather the latest disruptions. "I think that our business will survive," he said, but added: "It's trying to figure out what you're going to sell in the next six months."
France 24
15 hours ago
- Business
- France 24
Trump metal tariffs wreak havoc on US factory
At Independent Can's factory in Belcamp, Maryland northeast of Baltimore, CEO Rick Huether recounts how he started working at his family's business at age 14. Huether, now 73, says he is determined to keep his manufacturing company afloat for generations to come. But Trump's tariffs are complicating this task. "We're living in chaos right now," he told AFP. Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump imposed tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and aluminum -- and then doubled the rate to 50 percent. This has weighed on operations at Independent Can, and Huether expects he eventually will have to raise prices. Not enough tinplate With the steady beat of presses, steel plates that have been coated with tin -- to prevent corrosion -- are turned into containers for cookies, dried fruit, coffee and milk powder at Huether's factory. But there is not enough of such American-made tinplate for companies like his. "In the United States, we can only make about 25 percent of the tinplate that's required to do what we do," in addition to what other manufacturers need, Huether said. "Those all require us to buy in the neighborhood of 70 percent of our steel outside of the United States," he added. While Huether is a proponent of growing the US manufacturing base, saying globalization has "gone almost a little bit too far," he expressed concern about Trump's methods. Trump has announced a stream of major tariffs only to later back off parts of them or postpone them, and also imposed duties on items the country does not produce. For now, Independent Can -- which employs nearly 400 people at four sites -- is ruling out any layoffs despite the current upheaval. But Huether said one of the company's plants in Iowa closed last year in part because of a previous increase in steel tariffs, during Trump's first presidential term. Price hikes With steel tariffs at 50 percent now, Huether expects he will ultimately have to raise his prices by more than 20 percent, given that tinplate represents a part of his production costs. Some buyers have already reduced their orders this year by 20 to 25 percent, over worries about the economy and about not having enough business themselves. Others now seem more inclined to buy American, but Huether expressed reservations over how long this trend might last, citing his experiences from the Covid-19 crisis. "During the pandemic, we took everybody in. As China shut down and the ports were locked up, our business went up 50 percent," he explained. But when the pandemic was over, customers turned back to purchasing from China, he said. "Today if people want to come to us, we'll take them in," he said, but added: "We need to have a two-year contract." Huether wants to believe that his company, which is almost a century old after being founded during the Great Depression, will weather the latest disruptions. © 2025 AFP
New Straits Times
16 hours ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Trump metal tariffs wreaking havoc on US factory
BELCAMP, US: In the sweltering US summer, metal containers decorated with snowmen and sleighs are taking shape – but tempers are also rising as their manufacturer grapples with President Donald Trump's steep steel tariffs. At Independent Can's factory in Belcamp, Maryland, northeast of Baltimore, CEO Rick Huether recounts how he started working at his family's business at age 14. Huether, now 73, says he is determined to keep his manufacturing company afloat for generations to come. But Trump's tariffs are complicating this task. "We're living in chaos right now," he told AFP. Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump has imposed tariffs of 25 per cent on imported steel and aluminium and then doubled the rate to 50 per cent. This has weighed on operations at Independent Can, and Huether expects he eventually will have to raise prices. With the steady beat of presses, steel plates that have been coated with tin – to prevent corrosion – are turned into containers for cookies, dried fruit, coffee and milk powder at Huether's factory. But there is not enough of such American-made tinplate for companies like his. "In the United States, we can only make about 25 per cent of the tinplate that's required to do what we do," in addition to what other manufacturers need, Huether said. "Those all require us to buy in the neighbourhood of 70 per cent of our steel outside of the United States," he added. While Huether is a proponent of growing the US manufacturing base, saying globalisation has "gone almost a little bit too far," he expressed concern about Trump's methods. Trump has announced a stream of major tariffs only to later back off parts of them or postpone them, and also imposed duties on items the country does not produce. For now, Independent Can – which employs nearly 400 people at four sites – is ruling out any layoffs despite the current upheaval. But Huether said one of the company's plants in Iowa closed last year in part because of a previous increase in steel tariffs, during Trump's first presidential term. With steel tariffs at 50 per cent now, Huether expects he will ultimately have to raise his prices by more than 20 per cent, given that tinplate represents a part of his production costs. Some buyers have already reduced their orders this year by 20 to 25 per cent, over worries about the economy and about not having enough business themselves. Others now seem more inclined to buy American, but Huether expressed reservations over how long this trend might last, citing his experiences from the Covid-19 crisis. "During the pandemic, we took everybody in. As China shut down and the ports were locked up, our business went up 50 per cent," he explained. But when the pandemic was over, customers turned back to purchasing from China, he said. "Today if people want to come to us, we'll take them in," he said, but added: "We need to have a two-year contract." Huether wants to believe that his company, which is almost a century old after being founded during the Great Depression, will weather the latest disruptions.
