No matter how they preface it, the proclamation is an admission that tariffs don’t suddenly switch on domestic manufacturing for a protected industry. Ramping up the domestic manufacturing of products like aluminum takes time. And even at the primary stated goal of tariffs — namely an increase in U.S. manufacturing jobs — the tariffs have been a failure. Since April 2025, when Trump made his “Liberation Day” tariff announcement, the U.S. has lost roughly 64,000 manufacturing jobs. North Carolina’s numbers reflect the same pattern, losing 12,600 manufacturing jobs during that time, despite the state adding about 65,000 jobs overall.