MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee-based company is feeling the impact of President Trump's tariff policies as the administration continues to expand trade restrictions globally.
Diamond Disc International, a small diverse wholesaler that sells diamond blades, power saws and safety equipment to construction contractors nationwide, is among local businesses monitoring the evolving trade situation.
"We are not that sure of cost of goods sold because of that uncertainty with fluctuating tariffs," said Ugo Nwagbaraocha, president of Diamond Disc International.
George Berka, sales manager at Diamond Disc International, has been with the company for 15 years, helping construction contractors find the cutting tools they need to get the job done.
Watch: A Milwaukee business owner navigates uncertainty amid President Trump's tariff policies
"I like the opportunity and I like this job because I am able to help contractors all over the country, sometimes they call me with a problem and I can provide a solution," Berka said.
During a recent visit to the facility, Sen. Tammy Baldwin expressed concern about how tariffs could create higher costs for consumers.
"This impacts everybody but especially consumers who know these tariffs can't be swallowed by businesses they're going to be passed on to the ultimate purchaser," Baldwin said.
Baldwin stressed tariffs are not necessary across the board but can work for what she calls 'trade cheats' like China.
"I know people are pegged as anti-tariff when they criticized President Trump's tariffs. I'm not anti-tariff. I think they should be used very surgically against trade cheats," Baldwin said.
The tariff debate also emerged at Republican Congressman Bryan Steil's recent town hall in Walworth County.
"This is a terrible tax that is going to be placed on the citizens of the United States," said Tom Burke, a town hall attendee.
Steil acknowledged the need for accountability with China.
"These trade agreements at the end of the day need to be about lowering the barriers forcing other countries to be reciprocal to the United states and then working with our allies to hold China accountable," Steil said.
The concerns come as President Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods Wednesday over the country's oil imports from Moscow. This new tariff will stack on top of another 25% tariff, creating a 50% tariff on India that would be among the highest on any trading partner in the world.
According to the most recent Marquette Law School poll, 57% of respondents believe tariffs hurt the economy, while 31% say they help. The strongest opposition comes from Democrats, though more than half of independents also believe tariffs will harm the economy.
This story was reported on-air by Charles Benson and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
