Free Trade

A North Carolina Goodyear Plant Is the Latest Victim of Trump's Misguided Tariffs and Costly Iran War

Another example of the flawed logic behind the Trump administration's tariff policies: You can't make a tire without rubber, and the U.S. doesn't produce rubber.

Eric Boehm | 5.15.2026 11:40 AM

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(Ken Wolter/Dreamstime)

Rather than ushering in a "Golden Age," President Donald Trump's tariffs and his war with Iran seem to have played a significant role in killing a North Carolina tire factory.

The Goodyear Rubber and Tire Co. announced this week that it would be shuttering its Fayetteville, North Carolina, plant that currently employs more than 1,700 workers. The decision to close the plant was made to "strengthen Goodyear's ability to compete in today's marketplace and support the long‑term health of the business," a company executive told City View, a Fayetteville-based news and lifestyle magazine.

Translating that P.R.-speak is a bit easier when you look at what company executives have been telling investors.

Goodyear lost $249 million during the first three months of the year—after earning a $115 million profit during the same three months last year, just prior to Trump's tariffs being announced. Along with that announcement, CEO Mark........

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