Manufacturing group launches ad campaign against tariffs

Another leading business group on Monday launched a television advertising campaign opposing President Trump’s plans to impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) will run a 30-second ad for the next several weeks featuring manufacturing employees directly warning Trump and other top administration officials that the tariffs will hurt their industries and make it harder to compete with foreign companies.

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“It’s not too late for President Trump to reverse course on steel tariffs,” said AEM President Dennis Slater in a statement.

“That is why our board decided to make a substantial investment in launching this campaign to urge the president to steer away from tariffs that will ultimately hurt equipment manufacturers and cost American jobs,” Slater said.

The ad credits the Republican tax package and reductions in regulations for boosting manufacturing jobs but argues that the tariffs, which are expected to take effect later this week, will derail those benefits. 

“Save manufacturing jobs and say no to steel tariffs,” the ad says.

The ad will run in the coming weeks and target Trump, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who are closely involved in the development of the tariff plan and what countries and products will be included. 

The spot will run on “Fox & Friends,” “Morning Joe” and “Hannity” as well as on digital platforms, AEM said. 

AEM said that over the past several months their businesses were being hurt by increasing steel prices on the expectation that the Trump administration would levy the steep tariffs over national security concerns.

Trump recently announced sweeping tariffs of 25 percent on imports of steel and 10 percent on aluminum.

AEM joins Farmers for Free Trade in going after Trump on the cable networks he frequently watches to oppose the White House’s move on tariffs.

U.S. farmers will run their ad for at least the next month.

“The crops that we grow here on this farm are exported across the globe,” Montana farmer Michelle Erickson-Jones says in the ad.

“Policies that restrict trade would be devastating for farms like ours,” she says.