By Alexander Lee




U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event at the Whirlpool Corporation manufacturing plant in Clyde, Ohio, Thursday.

During a recent visit to a Whirlpool Corporation manufacturing plant in Clyde, Ohio, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke highly of the impact his administration's 50 percent tariff on foreign-made washing machines, such as those produced by Samsung and LG, had on benefiting domestic companies like Whirlpool.

"Through imposing a 50 percent tariff on all foreign-made washing machines, we've seen a significant boost in Whirlpool's market share," Trump claimed during his speech at the factory that manufactures 20,000 washers daily.

Whirlpool, which is celebrating its 109th anniversary this year, has faced competition from foreign-made machines by LG and Samsung over the past decade. The U.S. International Trade Commission had previously found these companies guilty of "predatory" dumping, with anti-dumping duties of up to 79 percent imposed in 2013. Trump criticized his predecessors for failing to address the relocation of Samsung and LG production facilities to China to avoid these high tariffs.

The president utilized the opportunity to highlight his achievements in rectifying trade imbalances with South Korea ahead of the U.S. Presidential election scheduled for November 3. While Samsung and LG Electronics operate washing machine factories in South Carolina and Texas, employing local workers, Trump chose not to acknowledge these contributions during his speech.

Trump took full responsibility for raising tariffs and blamed the Obama administration for not taking necessary actions to protect American workers from the "flagrant dumping" of foreign washers and dryers into the U.S. market.
 
 
Reporter Alexander Lee alexanderlee_24@newsyn.co.kr