The Pennsylvania wheelbarrow factory where President Trump marked his first 100 days in office in 2017 has closed, and the wheelbarrows it made are now produced in China, Bloomberg reported on April 29, 2025.
The factory
- Trump visited the Ames True Temper plant in Harrisburg in April 2017 and signed two trade executive orders on the factory floor.
- At the time, company officials told PennLive the plant made about 85% of the wheelbarrows sold in the USA and Canada, using 60 million pounds of USA steel a year.
- Ames and its predecessor had operated in Harrisburg for 146 years. The plant closed on October 31, 2023, PennLive reported.
- Parent company Griffon shifted long-handled tools, wheelbarrows and other lines to global sourcing and closed sites in Pennsylvania, Iowa and Maryland.
“We believe in ‘Made in the USA,’ and it’s coming back stronger and better and faster than even I thought.”
President Trump at the Harrisburg plant, 2017, as quoted by Bloomberg
Why it matters for Made in USA
A plant used as a symbol of USA manufacturing still closed. The story shows that tariffs alone did not keep a high-volume product made in the USA when its parent company decided imports were cheaper.
FAQ
Which factory is it?
The Ames True Temper wheelbarrow plant in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
When did it close?
October 31, 2023, according to PennLive.
Where are the wheelbarrows made now?
Bloomberg reported they are now made in China.
Source & credit
Source: Bloomberg, April 29, 2025: “Made-in-USA Wheelbarrows Promoted by Trump Are Now Made in China”, by Shawn Donnan. Additional reporting: PennLive.