Trump tariffs: Milwaukee businesses feel impact

MILWAUKEE - From beer to barley, some Milwaukee businesses are laying out the impact of President Donald Trump's tariff increases.

Local perspective:

Cozied on the Milwaukee River and known for its unique beer, Lakefront Brewery celebrates 414 Day. President Russ Klisch said on a day celebrating all things Milwaukee, he faces challenges on an international level.

Russ says he was exporting gluten-free beer to Canada, but because of Canada's reciprocal tariff on U.S. products, Canada isn't buying it.

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That's about 4% of the brewery's production.

"Our new grist has been going to Canada. It is our gluten-free beer," he said. "We don’t know the uncertainty, we don’t know how it is going to affect the economy."

What they're saying:

Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin said Wisconsin's three largest trading partners are Canada, Mexico and China. On Monday, she talked with local businesses impacted by President Trump's tariff policies.

"I’ve talked to so many Wisconsinites who are still recovering from their injuries and the harm caused by his first trade-war and his first term," Baldwin said.

The backstory:

In a media briefing Friday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters more than 75 countries have reached out to make deals with the U.S. in response to the tariff increases.

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The administration put a 90-day tariff pause into effect, which applies to all countries except China. It expires July 9.

Leavitt said to trust the process.

"The president’s point about his trade and tariff agenda is to bolster our manufacturing industries here in our country," she said. "To bring down the cost of living here in our country and to ensure we are maintaining critical supply chains here in America."

What they're saying:

Bill Berrien, CEO of Pindel Global Precision and Liberty Precision in New Berlin, provided the following statement:

"I’m a Wisconsin manufacturer. We make things in the USA and sell them around the world. I’ve been fighting decades of practices by China that have skewed the playing field away from the American people and President Trump is trying to level it back. That means we can continue to put more money into Wisconsin manufacturing and upskill our workers so people can make higher wages. At Never Out of the Fight PAC, we want to work with President Trump to create that opportunity for everyone to be in the fight for prosperity."