\n<\/p>\n
Time is winding down for Howard Miller, the storied furniture company and clockmaker in western Michigan that said this summer it will close after 99 years. It identified the Trump administration\u2019s tariffs as a main culprit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Howard Miller\u2019s closure will cost about 195 people their jobs, most in Michigan. \u201cOur hopes for a market recovery early in the year were quickly dashed as tariffs rattled the supply chain, sparked recession fears and pushed mortgage rates higher,\u201d the company\u2019s president and CEO said in a July press release.<\/p>\n
In November, the company hosted a factory closeout sale. Locals shuffled through makeshift aisles bounded by curio cabinets, wardrobes and home bars styled with faux cocktails for an imaginary party.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And there were, of course, the signature grandfather clocks that made Howard Miller famous, both traditional designs of fluted hardwood and contemporary deconstructions with visible gears. Some sported a red, white and blue \u201cMade in Michigan\u201d sticker on their glassy faces.<\/p>\n
For nearly a century, Howard Miller was an American success story. But it struggled when President Donald Trump unleashed aggressive and fast-changing tariffs this year on both specific countries and business sectors. Some countries responded with retaliatory tariffs. Along the way, there were pauses, escalations and reports of progress toward some 14 trade agreements, falling short of the administration\u2019s prediction of 90 deals in 90 days.<\/p>\n
Companies like Howard Miller \u2014 a domestic manufacturer that imports certain goods and products \u2014 were caught in the middle. Tariffs led to rising costs on essential components that were unavailable domestically, according to the company.<\/p>\n
Pete Hoekstra saw it coming. Now the U.S. ambassador to Canada, Hoekstra was a nine-term congressman until 2011, representing the Michigan community where Howard Miller is based. He also was a vice president at the modern furnishings company now known as MillerKnoll that was co-founded by Howard Miller\u2019s father, Herman.<\/p>\n
In Congress, Hoekstra said tariffs were bad for business and consumers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe market should dictate the price of steel, not the government,\u201d Hoekstra testified before the House Ways and Means Committee in 2003 on President George W. Bush\u2019s temporary steel tariffs.<\/p>\n
Tariffs drive up costs for furniture-makers and other manufacturers in his district, Hoekstra said at the time, leading to dramatically higher prices, longer lead times for production and lost jobs. \u201cOnce lost, the jobs will not come back,\u201d he testified.<\/p>\n
Today, though, as ambassador, Hoekstra has been a top defender of the president\u2019s approach \u2014 a shift that\u2019s mirrored in the changing attitudes of other Michigan Republican leaders on trade.<\/p>\n
Hoekstra\u2019s social media posts as ambassador applaud Trump\u2019s efforts to achieve \u201cbalanced and reciprocal trade relationships.\u201d And in October, after Ontario\u2019s government commissioned an ad that aired during the World Series using former President Ronald Reagan\u2019s words to champion free trade, Hoekstra reportedly chastised the province\u2019s trade representative in an \u201cexpletive-laced tirade.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Canada<\/span> Darren Calabrese\/The Canadian Press\/AP<\/span><\/p>\n A spokesperson at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa declined requests for an interview with Hoekstra and to comment for this story.<\/p>\n A White House spokesperson said in an email to ProPublica that the Trump administration \u201chas consistently maintained that the cost of tariffs will ultimately be paid by the foreign exporters who rely on access to the American economy.\u201d<\/p>\n Canada is Michigan\u2019s largest international trading partner. In fact, the state sells more goods to Canada than to Michigan\u2019s next four largest foreign markets combined, according to the Canadian consulate general in Detroit.\u00a0<\/p>\n But Hoekstra seems to have followed Trump\u2019s lead in engaging with Canada. When Trump repeatedly called for it to become \u201cthe 51st state,\u201d Hoekstra said the country\u2019s prime minister might see it as a term of endearment.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, other Michigan enterprises are making hard choices. The Michigan Retailers Association, a trade group, found that two-thirds of retailers surveyed in May said they had to raise prices because of tariffs. Agriculture, the state\u2019s second-largest industry, is also taking a hit. Michigan\u2019s agriculture department reported in late August that tariffs, including retaliatory tariffs, led to big drops in exports. Wheat exports fell by 89% compared to last year, fresh cherries by 62% and fresh apples by 58%.<\/p>\n And MillerKnoll, Hoekstra\u2019s former employer, said in a business filing that its first quarter gross margin \u2014 a measure of profitability \u2014 decreased compared to the same quarter of the prior year, which it attributed primarily to \u201cnet tariff-related costs.\u201d MillerKnoll issued a tariff surcharge and increased prices to mitigate costs \u201cbased on the current tariff environment,\u201d a company executive said on an earnings call.<\/p>\n At Howard Miller, while demand isn\u2019t what it once was for its clocks, the company had diversified its product line, which helped, said James O\u2019Keefe, vice president of sales and marketing. But a subdued housing market limited sales to the people most likely to buy new furnishings, he said, and tariffs dialed up the cost of certain imported products.<\/p>\n It seemed like the family-owned company was put in a difficult position, said Nelson Vandermeer, a product development engineer. \u201cIf the federal government had said, \u2018Oh, it\u2019s a 10% tariff, constant, this is what it is,\u2019 they might\u2019ve been able to play the game, adjust margins, set pricing,\u201d he said. \u201cThey might\u2019ve worked things out. It might\u2019ve been OK.<\/p>\n \u201cBut no. It\u2019s just chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n Vandermeer, who\u2019s been with the company for more than 30 years, is grieving as Howard Miller enters its final days. \u201cI loved my job,\u201d he said. \u201cI love the people I work with. When you love something, it\u2019s tormenting to lose it.\u201d<\/p>\n People look through rows of clocks at a factory sale at Howard Miller.<\/span> Jamie Kelter Davis for ProPublica<\/span><\/p>\n The tall teal pillars of the Ambassador Bridge linking Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, mark one of the busiest land borders in North America, symbolizing a profitable and once-dependable partnership. To expand capacity for the two-way flow of trade and traffic, a new span is slated to open next year: the Gordie Howe International Bridge, named for the Canadian hockey legend who spent 25 years with the Detroit Red Wings.<\/p>\n Michigan exports $23.3 billion in goods to Canada annually, according to the Canadian consulate in Detroit. That includes cars and trucks, vehicle parts and furniture, agricultural goods and more. Canada is also the largest source of imports into Michigan.\u00a0<\/p>\n The standing trade agreement between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico was negotiated in Trump\u2019s first term. The president later described it as \u201cthe best agreement we\u2019ve ever made.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump pursued some tariffs in his first term, but in his second, he played hardball, championing them as a way to grow American manufacturing while bringing a windfall of tariff revenue into the U.S.<\/p>\n Gordon Giffin, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Canada under former President Bill Clinton, said Trump has \u201cfallen in love\u201d with tariffs. And if there\u2019s already a trade agreement in place, Trump will argue that \u201cwhatever president that put the agreement in place was an idiot.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n In the case of Canada and Mexico, Giffin said: \u201cThe agreement that\u2019s in place is the one he put in place. And somebody needs to remind him of that.\u201d<\/p>\n When Hoekstra landed at the Ottawa embassy in April, tensions were already high. In order to justify new tariffs on Canada, Trump had declared a national emergency over fentanyl trafficking, though the northern border is not a major source of the drug. Trump\u2019s authority to use such emergency declarations to impose tariffs is now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.<\/p>\n The president also questioned Canada\u2019s sovereignty. \u201cTo be honest with you, Canada only works as a state,\u201d he said in March. \u201cWe don\u2019t need anything they have. As a state, it would be one of the great states.\u201d<\/p>\n Canada responded with \u201celbows up,\u201d a reference to a defensive posture hockey players take to ward off opponents. Certain stores emptied their shelves of American alcohol. Hockey fans booed during the American anthem. The national and some provincial governments issued retaliatory trade actions. (Many have since been lifted.) Canadian travel to the U.S. cratered. Data from Canada\u2019s statistics office shows 10 consecutive months of reduced travel to its southern neighbor.<\/p>\n Colin Bird, the consul general of Canada in Detroit, told ProPublica that he\u2019s hearing from companies on both sides of the border that are in \u201cwait-and-see\u201d mode or are pulling back on investment, \u201ccertainly from Canadian companies investing into Michigan that are being heavily impacted by tariffs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs soon as we\u2019re back onto a steady state relationship, there\u2019s a huge reservoir of goodwill for the United States in Canada, but it\u2019s having a really significant short-term impact,\u201d Bird said.<\/p>\n Hoekstra, a former ambassador to the Netherlands and head of the Michigan Republican Party, made some friendly overtures. In a May video, he discussed his family connection to Canada, as someone born in the Netherlands to parents liberated by Canadian troops during World War II.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a Michigander,\u201d Hoekstra said, \u201cyou know, a border state, we recognize the close relationship that we have to bring safety, security and prosperity to both of our nations.\u201d<\/p>\n But Hoekstra was also critical of \u201canti-American\u201d attitudes in Canada and the delay in hammering out a new trade agreement.<\/p>\n Negotiations stalled after Ontario\u2019s ad that featured Reagan saying in 1987 that, in the long term, tariffs \u201churt every American worker and consumer.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n An outburst by Hoekstra targeting Ontario\u2019s trade representative at a \u201cstate of the relationship\u201d event hosted by the Canadian American Business Council appears to have been provoked by the ad, according to the CBC, Canada\u2019s public broadcaster. At a press conference, Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged Hoekstra to apologize.<\/p>\n The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute said the ad campaign used \u201cselective audio and video\u201d to misrepresent the former president\u2019s address. But while some remarks aired in a different order than in the original speech, the meaning didn\u2019t change. Reagan often championed free trade, including the 1988 U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement.<\/p>\n Trump called the ad \u201cFAKE\u201d and threatened to raise Canada\u2019s tariff rate from 35% to 45%.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCanada burnt the bridges with America,\u201d Hoekstra said on a CTV newscast. \u201cDonald Trump did not slam the door. \u2026 Canada slammed that door shut all by itself.\u201d<\/p>\n Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney apologized to Trump. While Ford defended the ad \u2014 \u201cWhat do they expect me to do? Sit back and roll over like every other person in the world?\u201d he said at the presser \u2014 Ontario pulled it from the air.\u00a0<\/p>\n But trade talks have yet to resume. And Hoekstra has signaled that there is still an abundance of ill will.<\/p>\n \u201cTargeting the president of the United States and his policies 10 days before an election, and a couple weeks before a Supreme Court case is heard before the Supreme Court \u2014 I\u2019m sorry, that does not happen in the United States of America,\u201d Hoekstra said of the ad campaign at a recent appearance in Canada.\u00a0<\/p>\n He added: \u201cI would suggest that you seriously consider whether that is the best way to try to achieve your objectives.\u201d<\/p>\n Landmark clocks stand in downtown Zeeland, part of a congressional district that borders Lake Michigan. They were donated to the community in 1980 by Howard Miller.<\/span> Jamie Kelter Davis for ProPublica<\/span><\/p>\n Hoekstra isn\u2019t the only politician who has adjusted his approach to trade. U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, representing the district that\u2019s losing Howard Miller, issued a newsletter in 2018 that pushed back on the first Trump administration\u2019s tariff efforts, particularly tariffs on steel from Canada.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAny perceived short-term gain from these overly broad tariffs may be quickly blunted by hardworking men and women losing their jobs in West Michigan and communities where manufacturing plays a significant role in the local economy,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n This year, Huizenga supported Trump\u2019s tariffs. \u201cIs there going to be some adjustments to that? Absolutely,\u201d he told reporters in March. \u201cIs it going to be easy? Not necessarily. Is it the right thing to do? Absolutely it is.\u201d<\/p>\n In response to ProPublica, a spokesperson for Huizenga said in an email that economic realities before and after the COVID-19 pandemic are dramatically different. The pandemic \u201cexposed the dire need to reshore American manufacturing,\u201d the spokesperson wrote.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPresident Trump and Congressman Huizenga are fighting to reshore American jobs, restore affordability, and rebuild Michigan\u2019s economy.\u201d<\/p>\n Some companies and labor organizations have applauded the tariffs or found ways to live with them.\u00a0<\/p>\n An executive with MillerKnoll said on an earnings call that the company raised prices and that it believes this will offset the impact of tariffs in the second half of the fiscal year. Whirlpool, the appliance manufacturer, recently announced a $300 million investment in U.S. laundry operations. While the company said it\u2019s navigating \u201cthe near-term unfavorable effects of tariffs,\u201d it also said that it expects to benefit in the end as it competes against companies that depend more on imports.<\/p>\n The United Auto Workers credited auto tariffs, along with union pressure, for Netherlands-based automaker Stellantis\u2019 October announcement of a massive investment at plants in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Indiana. Brands made by Stellantis, one of the world\u2019s largest carmakers, include Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep.<\/p>\n \u201cWall Street and supposed industry experts said this was impossible,\u201d UAW president Shawn Fain said in a press release. But the \u201crace to the bottom created by free trade is finally coming to an end.\u201d<\/p>\n This move by Stellantis involves shifting production away from Ontario.\u00a0<\/p>\n Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer celebrated Stellantis \u201cfor betting on Michigan once again.\u201d Her statement didn\u2019t mention Trump\u2019s trade policies.\u00a0<\/p>\n Whitmer isn\u2019t categorically against tariffs, but she\u2019s said that Trump\u2019s approach hasn\u2019t properly calibrated the costs and consequences. After asking state agencies about the effect of tariffs, she announced that they led to higher grocery prices and housing costs. At a business forum in Canada, Whitmer said: \u201cSwinging the tariff hammer hurts us both, damaging supply chains, slowing production lines, and cutting jobs on both sides of the border.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Over in western Michigan, Vandermeer, the Howard Miller veteran, is among those who are looking for work. \u201cI got 10 more years,\u201d he said, before he\u2019s ready to retire. \u201cI can work, if I find something.\u201d<\/p>\n Browsers at the Howard Miller factory sale in November came with a lot of questions, said O\u2019Keefe, the vice president of sales and marketing, as he surveyed the improvised sales floor stacked with clocks. Many locals had just learned of the closure of the company, which held a special place in community life. At the public library that\u2019s named for Howard Miller, two majestic grandfather clocks stand watch.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is sad,\u201d O\u2019Keefe said. \u201cEspecially when you walk through the quiet factory floor. They used to be running three shifts.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Keefe said he doesn\u2019t have his next job lined up yet. But for now, he said, he\u2019s got work to do. There\u2019s the last of the inventory to sell.<\/p>\n A \u201cMade in Michigan\u201d sticker on a clock at the Howard Miller plant<\/span> Jamie Kelter Davis for ProPublica<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Time is winding down for Howard Miller, the storied furniture company and clockmaker in western Michigan that said this summer it will close after 99 years. It identified the Trump administration\u2019s tariffs as a main culprit.\u00a0 Howard Miller\u2019s closure will cost about 195 people their jobs, most in Michigan. \u201cOur hopes for a market recovery<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35773,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[3811,17847,20097,3292,247,10952,14373],"class_list":{"0":"post-35772","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-social-issues","8":"tag-ambassador","9":"tag-antitariff","10":"tag-hoekstra","11":"tag-pete","12":"tag-propublica","13":"tag-reverses","14":"tag-stance"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35772","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35772"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35772\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/35773"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35772"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35772"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35772"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Intertwined Economies<\/h3>\n
A New Political Reality<\/h3>\n