- Whirlpool has cut more than half of its 2,000-strong workforce at its Amana, Iowa refrigerator plant over the last year, despite federal tariffs intended to support domestic manufacturing.
- While Whirlpool's CEO previously characterized the company as a 'net winner' from trade policies, the company now faces higher input costs for steel and imported components alongside softening demand from a weak housing market.
- Other major industrial producers, including John Deere and CNH, have also reduced their Iowa workforces or shifted operations abroad, turning manufacturing stability into a central issue for upcoming congressional elections.
Quotes
“Jobs and factories will come roaring back into our country”