An American Manufacturer Still Paying Tariffs on What the U.S. Doesn’t Make

In North Carolina, an eyewear company has been manufacturing in the United States for nearly eight decades: designing, producing, and assembling eyewear domestically.

But even a company with that history can’t escape today’s tariff reality. As the business explained:

“We are a fully integrated manufacturer of eyewear in the U.S. since 1947. We import a lot of raw materials and components that simply aren’t made in the U.S.”

That reality leaves the company paying tariffs not because it chose to offshore production, but because essential materials and components do not exist domestically. These added costs land directly on a small, established manufacturer that has already committed to keeping production and jobs in the U.S.

Their experience underscores a key point often missing from tariff debates: manufacturing in America does not mean manufacturing in isolation. Many industries — including eyewear — rely on global supply chains for specialized inputs that have no U.S. substitutes.

For this North Carolina-based company, tariffs don’t incentivize reshoring. They penalize businesses that have already reshored — or never left.

📢 If your small business has been affected by tariffs, sign our open letter. These stories help show how trade policy affects even the most established American manufacturers.