Governor Scott Walker talks tariffs at Seneca Foods in Janesville

walker-scott

Governor Scott Walker is touring Bemis Company in Oshkosh and Seneca Foods in Janesville tUESDAY to meet with employees and discuss President Trump’s recent call for tariffs on steel and aluminum and the impact it would have on Wisconsin. Bemis Company and Seneca Foods both rely on ultra-thin aluminum foil for core production and manufacturing operations.

“The goal of the Trump administration, I believe, is to protect American workers,” Governor Walker said. “Unfortunately, the practical application of the tariffs on steel and aluminum would lead to jobs being lost in Wisconsin and moved, not to other states, but to other countries. That is why I respectfully ask the president of the United States to reconsider this policy.”
Wisconsin employers such as Bemis and Seneca Foods are concerned about the impact of the tariffs because they rely on ultra-thin aluminum. There is currently only one U.S.-based manufacturer of ultra-thin aluminum, but their limited capacity doesn’t allow them to produce enough ultra-thin aluminum for Bemis, let alone the entire U.S. market.
Bemis Company, based in Neenah, Wisconsin, employs about 9,000 people in America. Of that, approximately 5,000 are in Wisconsin. 
Seneca Foods has nine plants across the state, including locations in Baraboo, Cambria, Clyman, Cumberland, Gillett, Janesville, Mayville, Oakfield, and Ripon. Across these facilities, more than 1,200 Wisconsinites are employed. 

Other Wisconsin employers such as MillerCoors, Lakefront Brewery, and Milwaukee Tool have all voiced concerns about these tariffs.