COLUMBUS – In 1837, two brothers-in-law living in Ohio — one a candle maker, the other a soap maker — merged their businesses to form what later became the multinational juggernaut Procter & Gamble.

Nearly two centuries later, the company — which makes everything from toothpaste to diapers — could be the canary in the coal mine as the U.S. economy wobbles under the weight of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff agenda.

Procter & Gamble announced last month that it was increasing prices on its products.

Many Ohioans say they are bracing for diminished business and higher costs as a result of tariffs, while others see Trump’s plan as the only way to revive the state’s manufacturing base.

“I’m still confident that things still need to play out,” said Mark Patterson in Springfield, wes

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