Tariff Turmoil, Part 2: Steel and Dog Gelato

Why It Matters

Council on Foreign Relations

News

4.2 • 876 Ratings

🗓️ 30 April 2025

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Tariffs have sparked intense debate in Washington, but their consequences land far from Capitol Hill. Tariffs can shape paychecks, shift prices for consumers, and affect markets. At best, tariffs offer short-term protection for certain industries. At worst, they can uproot the lives of American workers. In this episode, Why It Matters looks at what tariffs mean for a U.S. steel manufacturer and small business owner trying to stay afloat. Featured Guests Matthew P. Goodman, Distinguished Fellow and Director of the Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies, CFR Jamie Sychak, President of United Auto Workers Local 3303 Debbie Hendrickx, Founder and CEO of Swell Gelato For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/wim/tariff-turmoil-part-2-steel-and-dog-gelato

Transcript

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0:00.0	What do you envision when you think of American-made goods?
0:08.0	Maybe you think of Ford Motors, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, or the automobile industry of the Midwest,
0:16.0	or the heavy machinery and factories of the Industrial Revolution that produce the products
0:21.9	we need to keep American manufacturing and farms running. Or the ships and aircraft carriers
0:28.2	used by the United States military. Everything I just mentioned is made with steel. The U.S.
0:35.4	is the fourth largest producer of steel in the world, and much of what is
0:40.2	made here is also used here. There is a deep sense of patriotism and pride in knowing these goods
0:47.1	are made in the USA. But when other countries offer cheaper alternatives, it can threaten not just
0:53.3	our economy, but our national security.
0:56.4	There is bipartisan support that the U.S. steel industry needs to be protected,
1:02.4	and that the U.S. risks becoming overly dependent on foreign imports if it allows domestic
1:08.3	production to decline or vanish altogether.
1:12.2	And that's where tariffs come in.
1:15.1	I'm Gabrielle Sierra, and this is why it matters.
1:18.6	Today, we're sitting down with a small business owner whose business could be disrupted by tariffs.
1:24.0	But first, we're going to hear from a U.S. steel worker about how tariffs are impacting his livelihood.
1:33.6	I'm Jamie Seychek. I am currently president of UAW local for a steel mill in Butler, Pennsylvania.
1:46.8	First of all, Jamie, thank you for speaking with us.
1:50.5	Oh, absolutely. I'm glad to be able to share some of this.
1:54.7	Steel has been and continues to be a major talking point for the Trump administration, and a key good being protected by
2:03.0	Trump's tariffs. In his first term, President Trump imposed steel and aluminum tariffs on several
2:08.9	trading partners. And now in this administration, he's imposed another 25% set of tariffs.
	...

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