U.S. President Donald Trump gestures during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 26, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick continue to insist that his steep new tariffs will ultimately lead to a manufacturing renaissance in the United States. But countless economists, both left and right, are warning that the tariffs will hurt both businesses and consumers by making a wide range of goods much more expensive — from coffee to electronics to construction materials.

In an op-ed published by the Washington Post on August 29, Green Bay, Wisconsin-based Sachin Shivaram (chief executive of the Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry) details the negative effects that Trump's tariffs are having on the blue-collar workers he employs. Those workers, according to Shivaram, "overwhelmingly" voted for Trump in 2024 and are now being hurt by his economic policies.

"It’s a hard truth that some kinds of manufacturing are never going to come back in the United States, and no amount of protective tariffs will change that," the aluminum exec argues. "This truth is ignored at great peril for American workers. American manufacturing workers don't ask for much: a fair wage, steady work and the dignity of knowing their job matters. At the aluminum foundry in Wisconsin where I am chief executive, those jobs start at $27 an hour with a pension, a child care stipend and the security of long-term employment. Many of our people have built careers here, sending kids to college, buying homes and retiring with pride. They are exactly the kind of workers President Donald Trump says he wants to help. On that, we agree."

READ MORE: 'Lunatic stuff': Conservatives mock Trump's 'insane statement' after tariffs ruled illegal

Shivaram adds, " A disclosure: I didn't vote for the man. But I'm not just writing this for myself. I'm writing on behalf of the roughly 1000 workers who power our company — and who overwhelmingly did vote for him."

Shivaram goes on to explain what Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry does and why Trump's tariffs are hurting his employees.

"Our business had been growing, and demand was strong in the first quarter of this year," the exec explains. "But unfortunately, it has all been downhill since. Our primary product is aluminum castings…. The Trump Administration's tariffs are meant to encourage domestic aluminum smelting. But they will cause real economic pain."

Shivaram continues, "Our input costs are up. The Midwest Premium — a fee that largely determines the cost of buying aluminum in North America — has tripled in the past six months. Our non-aluminum inputs rose 7 percent last month alone."

READ MORE: 'They need to go away': Trump ramping up attacks on his own appointees

Shivaram's op-ed is drawing a lot of comments on X, formerly Twitter.

Economist/author Kimberly Clausing tweeted, "A vivid depiction of the collateral damage from the Trump Administration's reckless tariffs."

Journalist Harris Meyer posted, "Important piece that should be widely read. My workers voted for Trump. Now they’re absorbing the impact. Business was growing for our aluminum foundry. Then came the tariffs."

Economic researcher K. Louise Neufeld wrote, "A worthwhile read."

READ MORE: Gavin Newsom just made Mike Johnson look like a Democrat

Sachin Shivaram's full op-ed for The Washington Post is available at this link (subscription required).