US metal forming industry finding steel, aluminum levies a burdenWhen Bill Adler, owner of a metal stamping company in Ohio, prepared to bid on a contract to make commercial sausage stuffers for a company looking to replace its Chinese supplier last year, he believed he could match the competition. "The jump in those metal forming manufacturers who anticipate a decline in activity is related to the 25 percent tariffs imposed on steel imports," said Hardy. "The US is becoming an island of high steel prices, which will result in metal forming manufacturers losing business to overseas competitors who can buy steel at global prices," he said. "Tariffs are taxes, and if these tariffs continue, any benefit gained from tax cuts and regulatory reform will be wiped out." According to the report, the percentage of metal forming companies with a portion of their workforces on short time or layoffs increased to 4 percent in June, up from zero in May.