Whirlpool Feeling The Trump Effect

While the president seeks to strengthen manufacturing domestically, Whirlpool is engaged in battle with foreign competition.

Reuters reports that a $60 million expansion of their Clyde, OH factory was put on hold. Whirlpool argues South Korea's LG Electronics Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd are to blame by exporting washers at "unfairly low" prices. Whirlpool is currently the leader in the U.S. washer market.

Since the Nov. 8 presidential election, Whirlpool has been fighting with renewed vigor, seeking more protection. President Donald Trump’s administration is the first one in decades that openly says it is searching for ways to hit back at foreign producers it finds are hurting domestic manufacturers ... Since the election, both Korean producers have announced plans for big U.S. factories and that confronts the administration with a dilemma: how do you weigh interests of a U.S. manufacturer against investment plans of foreign competitors and which jobs are more important?

Read more