First Came Beard-Loving Millennials. Now Razor Makers Face a Close Shave with Steel Tariffs

Well-known razor makers like Boston-based Gillette already face strong headwinds from changing consumer habits: fewer men are shaving as regularly now that beards are more in fashion. Online subscription services like Dollar Shave Club or Harry’s are also putting pressure on prices and profit margins. Now, razor makers are dealing with the problem of tariffs on the specialized steel they import.

A Brush with Unfair Trade

It’s not so easy to find paint-by-number kits these days outside of the Smithsonian Museum of American History, though there’s a limited selection on Amazon. Who makes the brushes, canvases, and little tubs of plastic acrylic paints? Half of the world's brushes and painting canvases are shipped from China. Here's a story about how digging into the source of your favorite hobby materials can lead you on a tale of unfair trade.

American Rubber Band Makers in a Bind

In 2016, the United States imported $1.3 billion worth of natural rubber, second only to China as the world's largest importer. But America's largest rubber band manufacturer has asked U.S. trade agencies to investigate whether China, Thailand, and Sri Lanka are subsidizing their producers, enabling them to sell unfairly cheap rubber bands.

The Months Ahead in U.S. Trade Policy

Import “Relief”: It’s Complicated

The two Section 201 cases that the president will shortly decide—solar panels and washing machines—are good illustrations of how much the trade landscape has changed in recent years and how unexpectedly complicated these decisions have become.

What is President Trump Thinking on Trade?

It would be a guessing game to try to predict what the president might do specifically on trade in 2018. Whatever he decides, there are trends morphing the trading system even as the U.S. Government works to figure out its role in shaping it.

Four Reasons Consumers Might Think Safeguards are the Dirty Laundry of Trade Policy

Safeguards are designed to help domestic producers adjust to competition, but there at least four reasons they don't help the American consumer. Two high profile petitions will test how the administration deals with these competing concerns.

THE METALWORKING GROUP

“In a typical year, I’d be looking at maybe buying more equipment or investing in the business. And now I don’t know what things are going to look like six months from now.” -Mike Schmitt, CEO

BRINLY-HARDY COMPANY

“Our U.S. manufacturing jobs and our 179-year history should not be considered acceptable collateral damage.” -Jane Hardy, CEO

MID-CONTINENT NAIL CORPORATION

“I’m fighting for our 500 jobs and myself.” -Chris Pratt, General Manager