On April 2, President Donald Trump is scheduled to unveil details on his plan to impose “reciprocal” tariffs on U.S. trading partners that are believed to be aimed at most of the $3.3 trillion in American imports.
During his first term as president and as a cornerstone of his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump espoused the belief that the current global trading system decimated American manufacturing jobs and weakened the U.S. economy. Critics of the Trump tariff strategies claim the plan will have a negative impact on the economy and contribute to inflation, costing U.S families as much as $830 a year in higher costs for goods. The nonpartisan Tax Foundation subscribes to that opinion, writing in a March 25 white paper: “We estimate the 2018-2019 trade war tariffs imposed by Trump and retained by Biden reduce long-run GDP by 0.2 %, the capital stock by 0.1 %, and employment by 142,000 full-time equivalent jobs.” But during a recent appearance in Tupelo to raise supporting funds for the Natchez Trace Council of the Scouting program in 22 Mississippi counties, billionaire furniture manufacturer, distributor and retailer Ronald Wanek of Ashley Furniture Industries emphatically spoke of his support for Trump’s tariff plan.Wanek’s company has some relevant experience in global trade and the impact of tariffs.
Furniture retailer Ashley Furniture Industries, ranked by Forbes as one of America’s s Top 50 private companies, brought in $10.3 billion in revenues in 2024, has some 35,000 employees working in 1,125 locations in 67 countries. Over 4,000 of those employees live and work in Mississippi in communities like Ecru, Saltillo and Verona.
The company has a strong global presence and is respected as savvy, effective competitors in tough Asian markets. Long wary of China and other competitors in that region, the founder of Ashley Furniture sent his son and later successor as CEO of the company to live and work in those Asian markets to learn first-hand their business practices.
Founded in Arcadia, Wisconsin by Ron Wanek in 1970 as Arcadia Furniture The company developed both manufacturing and supply chains along with competitive retail operations in China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Indonesia. Wanek had a longtime business strategy to grow his company by blending domestic production and distribution and overseas manufacturing and distribution.
Wanek told Furniture Today in a 2024 interview that he had long seen Asian competitors as a threat to the success of his own company.
In 1989, Ron Wanek sent his eldest son Todd Wanek to master, build and develop the company’s Asian supply chains. “You can’t effectively compete with China and other strong economies in that region if you don’t have first-hand knowledge of how their markets work and experience the impacts of how they compete. Todd really excelled in learning those things and turning them into opportunities for our company,” Wanek said recently.
An observer of Ron Wanek’s upbringing would not likely have forecasted the phenomenal success he and his family have enjoyed.
Wanek was born in 1941 on a rural Winona, Minnesota farm as a sharecropper’s son. The Wanek family did not have a home with electricity and indoor plumbing for Ron and his three sisters. “There was always some chore that needed doing on the farm. We all worked extremely hard, but it was difficult for us to turn that work into a good living,” he said.
Now 83, Wanek sold his home to help finance his entrance into furniture manufacturing in 1970. The rest, as they say, is history. He and his family built an astonishingly successful business. In the interest of transparency, Wanek was a loyal and generous presidential campaign contributor to Trump in both the 2020 and 2024 campaigns.
Asked specifically about the Trump tariffs while at the Scouting event, Wanek said: “Well, I believe if you want to bring good jobs back to the United States, we must level the playing fields. American companies deal with tariffs all over the world. Some are fair, but many are unfair and put U.S. companies at a strong competitive disadvantage. I support the President’s tariff strategy and believe that it will in the long term be good for the economy and reshore jobs here in our country.”
Sid Salter is a syndicated columnist. Contact him at sidsalter@sidsalter.com.
37 comments:
Agreed
Agreed
Nothing more than a cult.
Agreed; did Sid really write this?
''in the long term''......key comment. rome wasn't built in a day. fixing nearly 50 years of ruinous trade policy is not something you do on your lunch hour. tell me , ive seen alot of presidents come and go. ive never seen a president key in on trade like trump has. wake up people , the chinese communist party hijacked american industry without firing a shot.
Note: Ron Wanek is not related to Rudy Warnock
Resist
Most Americans don't care how much they will pay for goods a few years from now. They want relief now. It's going to be a bloodbath for Republicans in 2026.
@10:57 AM Your ignorance is in full display. Americans have survived worse. America produces what the world needs to survive and reach the stars. China produces mostly copycrap trash that fills landfills not long after it fills the shelves of Dollar Tree.
This entire planet needs us more than we need them. We would still remain number 1 even if we cut off the entire rest of the planet. Because despite the leftist propaganda preaching that our nation is not exceptional, American Exceptionalism is demonstrated every single day.
God Bless President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
God Bless Elon Musk.
@11:52 AM Your comment just proved that I'm not the ignorant one. Your comments have nothing to do with what I said. The reality is that Americans want relief from high prices now. Your cult leader is playing you like a fiddle.
@12:27: proof? Where is your polling data?
Trump is looking for a better future for the U.S. Something no other president has ever done. If we would have ever had a good president Trump would not have to level the tariffs field.
@12:27 Oh YES! A cult leader so popular globally, that half of Europe is resorting to tyranny to ban rising leaders who are inspired by President Trump and Chairman Elon.
I honestly think the only cult are you libtard Kool-aid drinkers who hate successful white men so much that you are willing to destroy your children's future to destroy those men!
I'm glad to see Sid come back to reality. I read his Scott County Times columnist articles for Years agreeing with most of them. Then there's been a spell I couldn't really relate to his thought process- Good Article Sid.
It is readily apparent that Trump's critics on JJ have never taken a graduate class in economics.
You don't need a graduate class....Econ 101 will do just fine, and always will. These "critics" were raised by self-absorbed by checked out mothers and fathers who let their kids be raised by television and internet propaganda, with zero understanding of history. They live in an alternate reality of cartoons.
Ontario, Canada Premier Doug Ford, the tough guy that threatened “I will not hesitate to shut the electricity off completely?” He folded like a cheap lawn chair on that threat. Then yesterday, after Trump announced America’s tariffs, tough guy Ford stated on CNBC that Canada would remove all tariffs on US goods.
Amazing, isn’t it? Just like that, American goods could be more competitive, in a country that’s been riding the coattails of America’s working class - for decades.
Think about this: if the greedy government grifters, idiot opinion writers and pretend so-called journalists, and especially the greedy a___d billionaires that only concerned with getting richer off of cheap Chinese products would
“JUST STFU!!!,”
then who knows, the president might do some really good things for the working class in America.
But no, those only concerned with “winning” i.e. lining their pockets someway, will continue to dog ____ the working class and poor by spreading their propaganda predictions and lies, while laughing all the way to the bank at the idiots that fall for their scams.
Thank you, Sid.
Agree with what? This is the usual Salter word salad. There’s no conclusion, no for or against. It is instead a little biography of a some furniture magnate who doesn’t have a problem with tariffs being levied. I can’t recall the last time Sid came to any conclusion or opinion. His columns read like he has taken talking points and stirred and warmed them over to make leftovers.
This might work in the long term , problem is we won’t be here, and so short term matters
So, screw you're grand kids?
If you want good furniture, buy from a long existing US furniture manufacturer. Some of the finest still exist in N.C. The wood is properly dried for two years so it won't crack and split. The frame won't have to be replaced and it will last a lifetime, not a few years. The seats will be supported by tied, metal spring coils, not the strips used on aluminum outdoor folding chairs. The arms will be solid wood as well and not glued or filled with a plastic composite.
Or go to an second hand store and get something reupholstered. I just put new fabric and cushion filling in a sofa and chair that was in use when Queen Victoria was alive. It cost less to do that that buy Ashley. Sadly, the new fabric will not last as long as we've also are cursed with cheap textiles even when buying expensive designers. We've become a people who know the cost of everything and value of nothing and think that everything that glitters is gold.
Impulse shopping, instant gratification and advertising is making us stupid .
Also, read about The Taft-Hartley Act and what happened!
Well said. Virginia is also known for high quality furniture.
Without a dramatic change in approach the USofA is headed straight forward to a currency devaluation. The budget deficits and debt are unsustainable. If you have an adjustable rate mortgage get the hell out of it ASAP, like yesterday.
A recession isn’t good for anyone. That’s where we are. Thanks Trump. He bankrupted enough businesses that this should be no surprise to anyone, but most of his cult can’t see the reality that sits behind those gallons of makeup and bronzer. Once you clean off the phony facade, all that’s left is an empty suit.
Russia, why are they not getting additional tariffs? We know the obvious answer, but any MAGAts care to do some mental gymnastics on this one?
Our country cannot sustain itself if these hard decisions aren’t implemented. And the positive results won’t happen overnight. Why can’t we chill for a minute and give the tariffs time to work? I’ll tell you why….We are a spoiled country that’s so afraid our lives might be interrupted for a minute. Sit down and shut up!
These comments prove just how stupid and gullible people in this state are.
Pres. Trump placed an addtional 25% tariff on Japanese players thus bankrupting the Dodgers.
It’s a great depression, great depression. People are saying it's the best depression, no one's seen a depression like this. I don’t know, that’s what they say. They say Donald, this is the greatest depression.
Tariffs explained: Mexico makes a hammer for $2. It sells in the USA for $4. Costs $6 to make a hammer in the USA so no hammers are made here. USA put 200% tariffs on hammer imports so Mexican hammer costs $6 in the US. US can now compete and sells hammers for $8 to make a profit. Americans now have to find people (non-immigrants) to make hammers and hammers will cost $8 instead of $4.
What a thoughtless take. So you think we should just watch it burn because we’ve had it too good for too long? How long do you want to wait before we put out the fire? At some point, there’s nothing left to save. The rest of the globe hates us, they aren’t buying American ever again. American companies just saw the size of the potential market for their products shrink by 90%.
Every roofer already has multiple hammers borrowed from jobsites.
Who made the agreement with other countries that they can charge a tariff on our products and we will not charge a tariff on their products? Those are the people we should be wanting investigated. No sane or honest person would make such a bad deal.
6;31 RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
to 1:23....tariffs on russian products? i can only think of one product .............stoly vodka. do some mental gymnastics and name a few more.
If Obama or some other Democrat had imposed tariffs like this, you all would be throwing a hissy fit saying it's the stupidest thing anyone has ever done.
No, they would have been proud of them for righting a wrong that had gone on for so long. Obama or some other democrat didn't know there were tariffs and who paid them. Obama was busy loading airplanes full of cash and sending it to our enemies.
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