NHK Japan visited our office to discuss how the newly issued tariffs on imported steel affects American automotive suppliers.

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Trump Tariffs Spark Domestic Turmoil in US

Some tariff measures imposed by US President Donald Trump are taking effect, and people in the country are already feeling the impact.

The measures include an extra 25 percent tariff on steel, aluminum and cars, as well as additional tariffs of 145 percent on most imports from China.

US businesses and consumers will shoulder most of the higher costs caused by the tariffs.

How do tariffs affect AlphaUSA?

US businesses that use imported materials and products are having a tough time.

AlphaUSA, an auto parts manufacturer in the state of Michigan, uses steel imported from Taiwan.

An additional tariff of 25 percent is added to the cost of imports from Taiwan. The company is negotiating with the exporter on how they should split the burden.

Chuck Dardas, president, said “companies of their size might not be able to endure the situation in the long term, fearing that it might cause them to go out of existence”.

He also said it’s highly likely that levies will soon be imposed on some parts his firm imports from abroad.

He added he has considered procuring the parts domestically, but they would cost more because of higher labor costs in the US.