Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
NewsCut
Bob Collins

Harley workers are first casualties in trade war

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Paul Ryan Harley
House Speaker Paul Ryan tours a Harley-Davidson factory on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, in Menomonee Falls, Wis. Scott Bauer | Associated Press.

Thanks to the trade war that was ostensibly intended to preserve and create American jobs, some American workers will lose theirs.

Harley-Davidson was a big supporter of the administration, but it's been warning of the impact of tariffs since 16 percent of its business comes from the European Union.

Today, the shoe dropped. The company, which is headquartered in Speaker Paul Ryan's home state, is moving some production to Europe to avoid the tariffs.

“Harley-Davidson believes the tremendous cost increase, if passed onto its dealers and retail customers, would have an immediate and lasting detrimental impact to its business in the region, reducing customer access to Harley-Davidson products and negatively impacting the sustainability of its dealers’ businesses,” the company said in a filing this morning.

The other option was to raise the average price of a motorcycle here by $2,200 to counter the effect of tariffs imposed by the EU in the trade war.

The company will ramp up production in India, Brazil and Thailand.

“Increasing international production to alleviate the EU tariff burden is not the company’s preference, but represents the only sustainable option to make its motorcycles accessible to customers in the EU and maintain a viable business in Europe. Europe is a critical market for Harley-Davidson,” the company said.

Harleys are assembled in the U.S. at plants in York, Penn., Tomahawk, Wis., Kansas City, Mo., and Menomonee Falls, Wis.