<h1>Tariffs reshape manufacturing competitiveness, raising input costs and creating investment uncertainty for US factories and hiring.</h1> Concurrent use of subsidies and tariffs has failed to reverse a multi year manufacturing stagnation: subsidies prompted a temporary factory investment boom, but policy shifts and macroeconomic headwinds muted hiring and production gains. Tariffs can improve relative competitiveness yet raise input costs for firms reliant on imports, while frequent tariff changes create procurement and investment uncertainty, prompting manufacturers to delay hiring and capital expenditures until trade policy and cost conditions stabilize.