US baby product company pleads to meet with Trump over trade dispute
Delta Children CEO Joe Shamie on Monday explained how President Trump’s trade war with China is negatively affecting his business.
“The short-term pain is going to be felt mostly by the average mom and dad,” he told FOX Business’ Ashley Webster on “The Claman Countdown.”
Last Friday, China announced it would impose new tariffs on $75 billion worth of U.S. goods. Later in the afternoon, President Trump fired back against China’s tariff threat over Twitter.
The president tweeted the U.S. would raise existing tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese products to 30% from 25% on Oct. 1 and will lift duties on another $300 billion worth of Chinese goods to 15% from 10% on Sept. 1.
“On the cribs, basinets, beds and so forth, they come in complete 100 percent from China. On the mattresses that go into the cribs, we manufacture those here in America, right here in Wisconsin and those mattresses, the parts that go into the mattresses are taxed….We’re trying to expand our production and buy new machinery and that machinery is coming from China, which is also being taxed.”
Last week, Trump demanded that U.S. companies “start looking for an alternative to China.”
Shamie argues that it’s not feasible for his company to leave China.
“Nobody has the infrastructure of available materials from wood and steel and plastics and wheels that go into making a crib,” he said. “So we are manufacturing some products in Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia. But they don’t have the infrastructure, they don’t have the capacity, they don’t have the personnel. So it’s now way that we can produce what China produces.”
Shamie also reached out to local representatives about the damage the trade dispute is causing his company.
“I have spoken to numerous local representatives who basically whether it be a Republican or a Democrat basically throw up their hands and say listen ‘we have no control over the president, we understand what you’re saying, we understand the jobs you create here in America and we understand that it’s a huge problem.’"
Shamie pleaded that the president meet with him to discuss how the trade war is hurting more than just his business.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP
“Please, President Trump you’ve met with Tim Cook, it’s time to meet with Joe Shamie, Joe Shamie would like to talk to you about the safety of your grandchildren, the safety of grandchildren around the world. He would also like to talk to you about the family business that we represent.”