Trump's tariffs aren't saving jobs at Whirlpool's Iowa refrigerator plant [View all]

https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/trumps-tariffs-arent-saving-jobs-whirlpools-iowa-refrigerator-plant-2026-06-29/

Trump’s tariffs aren’t saving jobs at Whirlpool’s Iowa refrigerator plant
By Timothy Aeppel
June 29, 2026 5:08 AM CDT

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Whirlpool was among those expected to benefit from the tariffs, which have since been reshaped by legal challenges. The company makes about 80% of what it sells in the U.S. from its 10 – soon to be 11 – domestic factories, leaving it less exposed to import ‌duties than rivals and in theory better positioned to gain as foreign-made appliances grow more expensive.

Yet only one assembly line now runs at the plant, down from five that once turned out nearly a million units a year. Another 288 workers are set to lose their jobs in July.

CEO Marc Bitzer last year praised Trump’s trade actions, saying in an investor call that the Michigan-based company was a “net winner” from the policy.

But tariffs have not halted the job losses in Iowa or the decline in Whirlpool’s stock, now at its lowest since the 2007-2009 financial crisis.

Tariffs have raised Whirlpool’s costs for steel and imported components while demand tied to a weak housing market has softened. Meanwhile, Whirlpool has said tariffs have supported investment in other parts of its U.S. operations. The company ​has increased sourcing from plants in Mexico and China and moved some specialty models to an updated plant in Ohio.

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