Doug Rende, CEO of Shapes, an aluminum product manufacturer in Ohio, reports that President Trump's escalating tariffs have increased his company's annual costs by $4.5 million to $5 million due to higher material and transportation expenses. The article highlights how these economic policies are affecting manufacturers ahead of the midterms, with some like Sam Miller also struggling with US-Canada trade tensions and tariff refunds that were later reinstated. Democrats hope these issues will help them gain control in Congress this November.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Doug Rende, CEO of Shapes Unlimited, an aluminum product manufacturer in Ohio, is struggling with significant cost increases due to President Donald Trump's tariffs and the ongoing Iran war. The tariffs have added millions of dollars annually to Rende’s costs. Additionally, the conflict with Iran has further inflated shipping expenses. As midterm elections approach, many US manufacturers are feeling the strain from Trump's trade policies, which include tariffs on aluminum, steel, and automobiles, affecting both domestic producers and foreign competitors entering the US market. Some companies have benefited from these measures by gaining an edge over international rivals, but others like Shapes Unlimited face escalating costs and ongoing uncertainty. Rende expressed frustration, noting a perceived lack of trust in both the administration and Congress’s ability to check executive power.
Written for “US Tariff Policy” on 2026-10-11,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Trump’s trade wars sting US manufacturers ahead of midterms
AI generated
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wars → sting → midterms
For Doug Rende, who runs an aluminium product manufacturer in the US state of Ohio, President Donald Trump’s tariffs have meant millions of dollars more in annual costs – and recently, the Iran war has made shipments even more expensive.
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shipments → run → costs
Rende is chief executive at Shapes, one of many American producers smarting from Trump’s economic policies as midterm elections approach.
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elections → smart → policies
“Frustrating would be one word,” Rende told AFP.
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Rende → tell → AFP
“And I think that we’re sensing a lack of trust in not only the administration but the governmental process, the role of Congress to rein in executive power,” he added.
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he → think → power
Since returning to the presidency in January 2025, Trump has wielded executive authority to slap tariffs on various products and countries.
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Trump → return → products
Besides aluminium, the duties hit steel and autos too, while US trading partners face additional tariffs that vary by country.
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that → hit → country
Even as some American manufacturers have benefited as their foreign competitors encounter higher barriers, others struggle with ballooning costs and persistent uncertainty.
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others → benefit → costs
Trump’s spiralling trade fight with Canada and war with Iran have only deepened worries.
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fight → spiral → worries
Grievances over Trump’s trade policies are among fault lines that Democrats hope will work in their favour as they push to flip control of the Senate and House of Representatives in November’s vote.
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they → hope → vote
Rende’s company in North Jackson, Ohio, makes and distributes aluminium building products used in fixtures like fences.
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company → make → fences
Trump’s tariffs on aluminium have steadily climbed, from 10% during his first presidency to 25% and then 50% in 2025, and Rende has felt the impact.
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Rende → climb → impact
“This year alone, it’s upwards of US$4.5 million (S$5.8 million) to US$5 million in additional costs,” Rende said.
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Rende → ’ → costs
“There’s only so much that the end consumer is willing to eat,” he added.
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consumer → ’ → that
“So, we absorb a healthy portion.”
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we → absorb → portion
These added costs include steeper transportation fees, as fuel prices surged with the US-Israel war on Iran.
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prices → add → Iran
Surcharges are “upwards of US$6,500 per container” of goods from suppliers, Rende said.
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Rende → say → suppliers
As a result, he has paused recruitment for new jobs while investing in more robotic assembly.
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he → pause → assembly
Sam Miller, another Ohio manufacturer who makes kitchen and bathroom products, has been hit on both fronts in Trump’s trade wars, paying tariffs on imported materials from Asia while finding it harder to expand into Canada because of trade tensions.
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it → make → tensions
“It’s been difficult for businesses to manage,” Miller told AFP from his factory floor in Warren as a machine hummed nearby, cutting countertop material.
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machine → manage → material
“I do think that there will be a shift away from Republican views.”
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I → think → views
Although Miller received refunds after the Supreme Court struck down many of Trump’s duties, the US leader has since reinstated many of them.
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leader → receive → them
‘Straining’
Deteriorating US-Canada ties add to his challenges, with Washington and Ottawa slapping tariffs on each other’s products after trade negotiations collapsed in August.
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negotiations → strain → August
“We’re selling into Canada and it is particularly straining on both us and our customers,” Miller said.
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Miller → sell → us
He originally planned on opening a distribution facility in Canada this year, but progress has slowed.
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progress → plan → Canada
Guy Coviello, president of the Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber, told AFP he is monitoring tariffs, the Iran war and immigration very closely.
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he → tell → tariffs
These are a “mixed bag” for firms but negative overall, said Coviello, whose business group has some 3,000 members.
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group → mix → members
Some firms have lost customers or had to downsize, he said.
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he → lose → customers
Canada is also Ohio’s biggest export market, with a third of Ohio’s exports going to the country.
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third → go → country
“Where it gets even more complicated is that there are some goods that go back and forth across the border multiple times,” he said.
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he → get → border
The Iran war adds to stresses, raising freight costs and hitting aluminium supplies due to drone attacks in the Middle East.
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war → add → East
With a lack of new US aluminium smelters, Coviello said: “We are all for tariffs for critical items such as defence and medical industry.”
But he added: “We have to be careful when you’re talking about products that are not crucial and are not available in the US.”
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that → say → US
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