Trump promised a manufacturing boom. Industries are not so sure

Trump has vowed his historic tariff blitz would revive domestic manufacturing, but industry worries about his approach are raising fresh doubts about whether he can deliver on his promise of an economic boom.

In the Rose Garden on Wednesday, Trump declared “jobs and factories will come roaring back into our country” and predicted new “golden age” in America. Since then, he has stood by his decision to hike US tariffs to their highest levels in more than a century, even as the move sparked a global market meltdown.

Some manufacturing advocates and economists questioned Trump’s underlying logic, saying supply chain issues, high costs, workforce needs and the laborious process of moving production to the US stand in the way. Continued uncertainty about Trump’s long-term policy could also have a chilling effect, they said.

If the tariffs aren’t enough to convince companies to move operations to the US, it could mean Americans bear the heavy burden of the economic havoc Trump’s announcement unleashed without the promise of future benefits. That could heighten political risks for Trump and his fellow Republicans.

“While we certainly agree we should aggressively pursue any policy that helps us make things in America, the idea that you can move every part of the manufacturing process back to the US does not align with reality,” said Kip Eideberg, senior vice president for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.

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Eideberg, whose group represents makers of equipment used in construction, agriculture, mining, utilities and forestry, added that with businesses relying on components and labor from around the world, “you can’t just pick all that up and just move it over the US.”

Economists say companies are not