Tariffs on steel and aluminum have impacted many areas of building for Pogue Construction, including Southard Junior High, which is under construction in Princeton. (Courtesy photo)

The jury is still out on the effects of the tariffs placed on imports by President Donald Trump and reactions to those surcharges are mixed among local business owners.

The president has put tariffs on an ever-growing list of goods, including lumber from Canada, aluminum, steel, solar panels, washing machines, newsprint and a host of other items produced in Europe, Mexico, Canada and China.

He also is threatening a 25 percent tax on imported automobiles, which could raise the price of a $25,000 car to more than $31,000, or the price of a domestic pickup truck by almost $2,000 because it contains many parts manufactured outside the United States, car industry reports show.

Trump’s reason for the tariffs is that other countries have treated their United States trading partners unfairly, sometimes subsidizing industries so that they can sell their products more cheaply.

By Joe Reavis • Staff Writer • [email protected]

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