Despite the negative impact on North Carolina, Whatley defended Trump’s tariffs and claimed that Trump’s trade strategy was working. Tariffs were contributing to higher food prices, were hurting North Carolina businesses and farmers.
[VIDEO] Whatley Claimed That Trump’s Trade Policies Were Going To Work For American Factories, Workers And Communities. “Look at what he's doing on the tariff run. He said that he was going to up and do more when it comes to trading shares and that trade is going to be fair for the United States of America. And when he flipped over the table on every single country, everybody freaked out. If you look at a president who loses a major trade deal with the UK, a major trade deal with China and a framework in place in Iran over a four year period, that's a really aggressive trade package. He did it in 100 days. And we have 100 other countries that are at the table right now negotiating with America to bring down their tariffs and absorb cars into their economy. That is trade that is going to work for our factories and our workers and our communities here in America.” [CPNYS Summer Dinner, 6/20/25]
[AUDIO] Whatley Claimed That Trump’s Tariff Strategy Was Working. “You know, the President has been very clear since day one that he wants the conversation on tariffs to be about making sure that America is going to be treated fairly. It is part of a overall economic construct to return manufacturing to America, to create jobs here. And it's working. And we're already seeing investments that are being announced by countries across the world. And since he put these tariffs on the table, we have seen country after country after country say that they want to drop their tariffs. They want to enter into negotiations. Very smart play by the President, and not surprisingly, being treated very well by, by everybody who's looking at this today.” [The Rich Zeoli Show, 04/09/25]
North Carolina’s Commerce Secretary Claimed That Companies Were Stuck In A “Holding Pattern” And That Investment Decisions Were “Hard.” According to Axios,” Lee Lilley, North Carolina's commerce secretary, told Axios that many companies the state is talking to are stuck in a holding pattern. ‘Everybody's kind of got their hands up in the air,’ he said. ‘It's hard to make an investment decision with the multiplicity of variables that are at play.’” [Axios, 4/10/25]
The Owner Of Wise Man Brewing Claimed That Tariffs Would Require Them To Find New Ways To Cut More Costs. According to WXII, “The owner of Wise Man Brewing in Winston-Salem, Mike Beverly, said they have had to deal with tariffs before and this new round might require them to find ways to cut more costs.” [WXII, 4/8/25]
The Owner Of Brewery Bhavana In Raleigh Claimed That Prices Would Spike If the Tariffs Were Implemented. According to Axios, “Patrick Woodson, the owner of Brewery Bhavana in Raleigh, said prices could spike for his company if the tariffs are implemented — from the aluminum cans they use (most of which come from Canada), the malts they brew with (Europe and Canada) and the flour for their popular dim sum (China).” [Axios, 4/10/25]
Owner Of MAE Farm Meats, Mike Jones, Claimed That The Feed, Minerals And Products That He Purchases Would Be Impacted By The Tariffs. According to the Carolina Journal, “‘Feeds and minerals that go into the animals I raise and then also the products that I purchased from other livestock farmers for resale all are impacted by tariffs,’ Mike Jones, owner of MAE Farm Meats, told the Carolina Journal. ‘What happens is the suppliers of these commodities are mostly dominated by large corporations that move resources on a global scale.’” [Carolina Journal, 4/10/25]
Jones Claimed That If Other Countries Put Retaliatory Tariffs On Crops Like Grain And Soy Or If Fertilizer Prices Increased Then Farmers May Be Reluctant To Raise Soy And Corn Crops. According to the Carolina Journal, “‘A lot of American soy and corn producers move their product through the Mississippi River, and it goes into the global trade,’ continued Jones. ‘If other countries put tariffs on American commodities, then American grain and soy farmers might be reluctant to raise that crop. And if their fertilizer inputs are higher, they might be reluctant to raise it [the crop].’” [Carolina Journal, 4/10/25]
Jon Sanders, Director Of The Center For Food, Power, And Life At The John Locke Foundation, Said That Higher Prices Imposed On North Carolina’s Agricultural Exports Would Harm The Industry. According to the Carolina Journal, “‘I’m worried that the retaliatory effects of tariffs will negatively impact North Carolina’s farmers,’ Jon Sanders, director of the Center for Food, Power, and Life at the John Locke Foundation, told the Carolina Journal. ‘Higher prices imposed on North Carolina’s agricultural exports will mean fewer sales, harming the industry’s bottom line and impacting our farmers and their employees. History is replete with examples of tariffs leading to higher and higher tariffs between nations, harming producers and consumers and creating economic woes that can be solved only by freeing trade from such constraints.’” [Carolina Journal, 4/10/25]
Key Industries In North Carolina That Would Be Impacted Are Manufacturing And Automotive Since Steel And Aluminum Prices Would Increase. According to WXII, “Supply chain experts like Pelin Pekgun, a professor of analytics at Wake Forest School of Business, said tariffs will have broad, sweeping impacts on the entire state. ‘Mexico, Canada and China were among the top imports-export trade partners of North Carolina,’ Pekgun said. ‘Some of the key industries that would be affected like manufacturing and automotive, with steel and aluminum prices increasing, of course that affects the cost of production.’” [WXII, 4/8/25]
North Carolina Exported $5.9 Billions Worth Of Goods And Services To China. According to Axios, “North Carolina is one of the largest exporters of goods and services to China in the U.S. — a trading partnership that is now in limbo due to tit-for-tat tariffs between the two counties. By the numbers: North Carolina exported $5.9 billion worth of goods and services to China in 2023.” [Axios, 4/10/25]