Recent News

I’ve been in this business long enough to have watched several waves of trade policy reshape the manufacturing landscape. Import quotas in the 1980s. NAFTA in the 1990s. The first round of Section 232 tariffs in 2018. Each time, the industry adjusted. Each time, the companies that moved with intention came out ahead of those that waited for certainty before acting.

What I’m watching right now feels different in one specific way: the pace and scope of change are harder to plan around than anything I’ve seen before.

Where Things Stand

Since March 2025, the U.S. has imposed 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from nearly all trading partners — the highest levels under Section 232 in the modern era. All prior country exemptions have been eliminated. Derivatives of steel and aluminum are being pulled into scope on a rolling basis. And the broader tariff environment — covering everything from automotive to consumer goods — has introduced a level of cost uncertainty across manufacturing that, according to the National Association of Manufacturers, has more than 78% of manufacturers worried about trade policy as a moving target.

I’m not here to debate whether these policies are right or wrong. That’s not my lane. My lane is talent — and what I can tell you is that trade policy is having a very direct and tangible effect on how companies are hiring, or more often, not hiring right now.

The Hiring Behavior I’m Observing

In conversations with clients across metals, steel, industrial manufacturing, and materials, I’m seeing three distinct responses to this environment.

The first group is frozen. They’re waiting for clarity before committing to headcount. I understand the instinct, but in my experience, this approach carries real risk. The talent they need doesn’t wait on the sidelines — it gets picked up by competitors who are moving forward regardless.

The second group is reacting. They’re making sudden hiring decisions driven by short-term shifts in order volume or cost pressure rather than any longer-term strategic view. These organizations often hire in a hurry and pay for it in turnover and misalignment.

The third group — and these are the clients I find myself most energized by — is planning through the uncertainty. They’ve accepted that they can’t predict where tariff policy lands six months from now, but they understand that their people strategy can’t be held hostage to that unpredictability. They’re building their talent pipeline now, so they’re positioned to execute when conditions clarify.

What I’d Say to Manufacturing Leaders Right Now

Here is my honest, practical view after nearly four decades in this business.

Tariff uncertainty is real, but it is not a reason to pause your talent strategy. Supply chains are being rerouted. Reshoring is accelerating. Domestic production capacity is being tested. All of those dynamics — regardless of how specific policies evolve — create demand for experienced engineers, operations leaders, plant managers, and technical specialists. That demand doesn’t evaporate because policy is in flux.

What changes is the type of leader that succeeds in this environment. Companies navigating this period well are prioritizing people who can operate with ambiguity — leaders who can scenario plan, adjust quickly, and keep teams focused when the external picture is noisy. That’s a different profile than what many job descriptions currently reflect, and it’s worth being intentional about.

One More Observation

I’ve noticed that some organizations are using this moment as cover to defer decisions they were already uncomfortable making — filling a long-vacant leadership role, building out a team ahead of a new facility, making a succession move that’s been on the table for two years. Tariff uncertainty gives those decisions a convenient reason to wait.

My counsel is to separate the decisions that are genuinely tariff-sensitive from the ones that simply feel risky in an uncertain climate. Most of the talent decisions I see being delayed right now fall into the second category.

Final Thought

Thirty-seven years of conversations with some of the sharpest executives and engineers in American manufacturing have taught me one consistent lesson: the organizations that protect their talent pipelines during uncertain periods are the ones with the most options when things settle.

The tariff environment will evolve. It always does. The question is whether your team will be ready when it does.

I’d welcome a conversation with anyone navigating this right now. It’s exactly the kind of challenge we’ve been helping clients think through for a long time.