100 days of Trump: 3 key changes impacting people across America
100 days after returning to power, Donald Trump is charging ahead with tariffs, an immigration crackdown and federal cuts, including dismantling DEI.
- Wisconsin-based Sentry Equipment Corp. lost a $300,000 order from a Chinese customer due to tariff threats and shipping issues.
- The lost order highlights the negative impact of the US-China trade war on American manufacturers.
An Oconomowoc manufacturer was recently pulled into the deepening U.S. trade war with China.
Sentry Equipment Corp., which makes sampling and process equipment for various industries, says it lost a $300,000 order because the Chinese customer probably wouldn’t have received the products ahead of a steep tariff threatened by China on American-made goods.
Sentry had rushed to complete the work but was unable to get the products on a flight to China soon enough because of air-freight transportation issues.
“The logistics were out of our control,” said Rich Gaffney, Sentry’s vice president of operations.
That left the employee-owned company in a tough spot.
“It was demotivating for our crew that worked so hard to get the order ready. And, of course, we had to scramble to not lose out on the revenue,” Gaffney said.
The products were repurposed for other customers outside of China, but the lost order “speaks to the bigger concern” of tariffs and threats to overseas business, according to Gaffney.
Around 25% of Sentry’s sales are outside of the U.S. in more than 50 countries.
The company, Gaffney said, is developing a strategy to address tariffs and potential disruptions in business.
For now, the only thing certain is there will be more uncertainty as the United States attempts to reach trade deals with China and other countries.
“What that looks like, we don’t know. It’s a moving target,” Gaffney said.
Export markets are quickly closing for many U.S. companies. Rising costs of imported materials have wreaked havoc on manufacturers, although some have regained work they lost to China and other countries years ago.
For companies scrambling to figure out supply chains and tariffs exposure, it’s more than just a distraction, said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist for Annex Wealth Management, in Brookfield.
“It could be an existential threat, especially for smaller businesses. … Tariff clarity can’t come soon enough,” Jacobsen said in recent blog.
