In a way, it’s impressive that the bumbling incompetence of one man can rival a once-in-a-century global pandemic, but that’s Donald Trump for you. Ever since his catastrophic “Liberation Day”, on which he unveiled crushing tariffs on imports to the United States, domestic manufacturing has been in panic mode.
In simple terms, manufacturers depend on reliable international supply chains, which allow them to make long-term plans for fabricating products using raw materials and components from around the world. Trump’s tariffs have thrown a hand grenade into that, with manufacturers now unable to predict prices: if you order a bulk shipment of a Chinese-made component, you now have no idea how much you’ll pay for it when it’s fulfilled
