A Trump Tariff Case Study: Can the U.S. Again Be the Power Tool King?

My DeWalt 20-volt cordless
drill/driver combo set is a beaut—powerful, smooth, comfortable in the hand,
and not too expensive; I got it on sale for about a hundred bucks. It’s also a
tribute to the wonders of the transnational supply chain, its components
traversing the earth before they came together and found their way to my door.
The drill and driver were made in Mexico, but their batteries were made in
China, as were the battery charger and the handy tote bag that came with it.
DeWalt, a brand familiar to every woodworker and DIY enthusiast, is a division
of Stanley Black & Decker, a global conglomerate headquartered in
Connecticut that owns brands including Craftsman, Porter-Cable, Bostitch, and
many others. In
2024, it sold $15.4 billion worth of tools.

While the company does some
domestic manufacturing, its power tools—drills, saws, routers, and the like—are all made abroad. The same is true of most of the power tool brands you’ll
find at your local Home Depot or Lowe’s; many started as American companies but
are now part of multinational corporations that do little manufacturing in
the United States. Your Milwaukee reciprocating saw and Ryobi sander may sound
like they come from the U.S. and Japan, but both companies are owned by
Techtronic Industries, which is headquartered in Hong Kong. Your dad called his
circular saw a “skilsaw,” but Skil is now owned by Chervon, a Chinese company.