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This Factory Was Ready to Expand. Then Came the Trump Trade Wars.
New York Times ^ | June 1, 2018 | Jim Tankersley

Posted on 06/03/2018 5:40:11 AM PDT by reaganaut1

Andy Marsh’s New York factory is trapped in the Trump trade wars.

As Mr. Trump threatens tariffs on America’s economic allies and its adversaries, many of the domestic businesses that the president says his policies are meant to protect are finding themselves victims of his aggressive approach.

Prices are rising for imported goods, other nations are erecting retaliatory trade barriers, and companies like Plug Power, the manufacturing business that Mr. Marsh runs outside Albany, are facing crippling uncertainty from Mr. Trump’s fickle approach.

It is not the first time Mr. Marsh has felt firsthand the impact of decisions made hundreds of miles away in Washington.

In February, Congress and Mr. Trump gave Plug Power an injection of optimism, by extending a tax credit that was crucial to the manufacturer’s American expansion plans. The credit allowed Plug Power to reduce the price of its fuel cells for trucks and forklifts, and to forge ahead with new hiring.

By May, Mr. Marsh had slowed his efforts to fill more than 10 open positions in Plug Power’s factory as he began worrying that the tariffs on steel and some Chinese products crucial to its business would raise the costs of the components it imports to build fuel cells. So executives had raised the price on their fuel cells, and sales were slowing as a result.

United States Customs and Border Protection had also begun delaying some of those imported components for several days after they arrived from overseas, slowing their trip to Plug Power’s factory floor, Mr. Marsh said. The reason for the delay was unclear, but Mr. Marsh suspected that it could be related to the recent trade upheaval.

Other American companies, such as Ford, have faced delays with their products in China, as customs officials subjected their exports to additional scrutiny

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS: andymarsh; jimtankersley; manufacturing; nevertrump; nevertrumper; nevertrumpers; nevertrumpertrolls; newyork; newyorkcity; newyorkslimes; newyorktimes; plugpower; steel; tariffs; trumptrade
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To: AndyTheBear

For some people, “peace” is worth it an any price, up to and including enslavement.

For some of us, we would rather risk ruin or death than live as slaves.

Bottom line is, there are many people to whom “Trade Peace” is worth any price.

I am not one of them.


61 posted on 06/03/2018 6:43:03 AM PDT by rlmorel (Leftists: They believe in the "Invisible Hand" only when it is guided by government.)
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To: AndyJackson
Well it is more likely the root cause of halting the plans for expansion. Your products exploding and killing people at Proctor and Gamble is gonna kinda eat up your cash, kill off sales, and gut stock prices.

What's next? Trump lit the match?

62 posted on 06/03/2018 6:43:09 AM PDT by blackdog
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To: kabar

Nice concise statements about the state of steel manufacturing.


63 posted on 06/03/2018 6:44:36 AM PDT by Ol' Dan Tucker (For 'tis the sport to have the engineer hoist with his own petard., -- Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 4)
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To: TwelveOfTwenty

Turning a silk purse into a sow’s ear. No truth is so big the media can’t spin it into a black lie. Obama told us he made the economy boom, the world was at peace and the illegals were model Americans.


64 posted on 06/03/2018 6:46:06 AM PDT by Spok ("What're you going to believe-me or your own eyes?" -Marx (Groucho))
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To: reaganaut1

Complete BS story! Plug Power has never made a dime in profits. They are trying to produce an out dated Hydrogen fuel cell that has been replaced by the Lithium Ion Battery. The only thing keeping the doors open at Plug Power is massive Government rebates to companies who buy the fuel cells. The State of NY has pour $$Millions into this money losing operation. Once the rebates stop Plug Power is out of business.


65 posted on 06/03/2018 6:47:57 AM PDT by EC Washington
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To: All
Why Karl Marx Advocated Free Trade (Capitalism)

Peter Myers, Canberra, Australia, August 2, 2001; update January 7, 2003. My comments are shown {thus}. Write to me at contact.html.

You are at http://mailstar.net/classwar.html.

Karl Marx advocated Free Trade, i.e. Capitalism, because (a) whereas Protection builds up the nation-state, Free Trade breaks it down, as a prelude to the creation of a world-state by the Capitalists (b) Free Trade breaks down traditional culture, as a prelude to the creation of a world culture (c) Free Trade exacerbates class warfare, and through this the Capitalists will lose control of the world-state - they will be defeated by the impoverished classes, with the help of their backers in the higher classes.

66 posted on 06/03/2018 6:51:16 AM PDT by JonPreston
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To: Teacher317
Nice propaganda, troll-boi.

The question is whether the US is self-sufficient in a time of war (with, oh, I don't know, ...China?)

And the answer is a resounding NO.

Too many of the components and raw materials come from the Chicoms.

And they absorb/steal as many trade secrets as they can.

But that's ok, because you're swamp dwellers, right?

67 posted on 06/03/2018 7:00:39 AM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: Go Gordon

Your take on the story is the same as mine.

This jerk tried to make a little extra cash before tariffs came into effect. He created his own problem, typical democrat.


68 posted on 06/03/2018 7:01:00 AM PDT by redfreedom
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To: reaganaut1

naturally, The Failing New York Slimes chooses to report something like this instead of the hundreds of billions being spent on new factories being built by Foxconn, Apple, Samsung, Black & Decker Group, and many others ... factories when completed that will rev our economy to levels not seen since WWII ..


69 posted on 06/03/2018 7:01:37 AM PDT by catnipman ((Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!))
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To: bray

A NYT never-headline: This Factory Was Ready to Expand. Then Came Obamacare.


70 posted on 06/03/2018 7:05:21 AM PDT by Reeses (A journey of a thousand miles begins with a government pat down.)
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To: reaganaut1

Don’t expect much if any agreement around here. But ...


71 posted on 06/03/2018 7:06:20 AM PDT by lastchance (Credo.)
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To: reaganaut1

Doesn’t Plug Power make “green” energy cells? What happen to all the money Obama gave them.


72 posted on 06/03/2018 7:16:14 AM PDT by HapaxLegamenon
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To: reaganaut1
Obama's war on coal nearly closed down an entire INDUSTRY.

And the Slimes was silent ...

Obama's restrictions on fracking and the Dakota pipeline put thousands of well-paying jobs at risk.

And the Slimes was silent ...

The boondoggle of Obamacare caused hundreds of physicians to take down their shingles -- and lay off the nurses and staff they employed.

And the Slimes was silent ...

Then one factory is jeopardized by Trump's import tariffs.

and the Slimes cries out in anguish ...

73 posted on 06/03/2018 7:23:40 AM PDT by IronJack (A)
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To: allendale

Good post.


74 posted on 06/03/2018 7:30:00 AM PDT by conservative98
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To: IronJack

75 posted on 06/03/2018 7:34:33 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn)
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To: reaganaut1
Are you getting paid for these anti Trump posts?

Choices or options for the foreign traders

Trade War!

Or, Negotiate with President Trump and Implement 'Fair Trade' Policies

Choose wisely!

It’s all about carrots and sticks.

76 posted on 06/03/2018 7:38:54 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (Trump does what is good for Americans. Then, the world gets their pants in a knot, too bad!)
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To: reaganaut1

Anything that shuts down the ‘green energy’ scam is a good thing.


77 posted on 06/03/2018 7:43:29 AM PDT by Beagle8U (Liberals can kiss my bitter clingers!)
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To: reaganaut1

Let’s see:
Not profitable, debt ratio too high etc
https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/05/29/why-plug-power-shareholders-have-something-to-worr.aspx


78 posted on 06/03/2018 7:43:35 AM PDT by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me https://youtu.be/wH-pk2vZGw2M)
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To: reaganaut1

Might be interesting to point out what Plug Powers does, not a big market for hydrogen fuel sales.


79 posted on 06/03/2018 7:44:50 AM PDT by Dusty Road (")
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To: bray

The NYT had to dig pretty hard to find this story.


Typical Liberal playbook. Let’s ignore the torrent of good news on the Economy and focus like a laser beam on one sob story.


80 posted on 06/03/2018 7:53:12 AM PDT by rbg81 (Truth is stranger than fiction)
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