Billionaire Trump Donor And Tariff Advocate Is Moving His Ohio Manufacturing Plant To China: Report

Cue nan sad trombone.

Hedge money billionaire John Paulson — a awesome Trump philanthropist and advocator of tariffs — is shuttering his Ohio brass instrumentality works and offshoring activity to China, according to a caller report.

Paulson’s institution Conn Selmer, nan nation's apical shaper of orchestral and brass instruments, notified labor it will displacement astir of its East Lake works operations to Asia by July, triggering astir 150 layoffs, The Guardian reported.

Employees were informed of nan determination past month, erstwhile they expected to discuss a caller national contract, according to United Auto Workers Local 2359, which represents nan workers. The labor said nan institution unveiled a caller works successful China successful 2025, and that activity has slow shifted to that location. However, workers successful Ohio had antecedently been told their jobs were not successful jeopardy.

Workers location expressed heavy dissatisfaction pinch nan decision, pinch 1 saying, “It really pisses maine off,” while different said they felt “betrayed.”

A typical for Conn Selmer confirmed that, should a “tentative decision” beryllium finalized, nan patient will move immoderate accumulation retired of nan country, according to nan outlet.

A institution spokesperson did not instantly respond to a petition for remark from The Independent.

Paulson — who is worthy an estimated $4 billion, according to Forbes — has been a awesome backer of nan Republican president for years.

During Trump’s first statesmanlike campaign, Paulson served arsenic an economical advisor, and he raised $50 cardinal for nan president astatine a 2024 fundraiser successful Florida. He was besides shortlisted to service arsenic treasury secretary, a position that was yet fixed to different hedge money investor: Scott Bessent.

Paulson has besides expressed support for Trump’s tariff agenda. Shortly earlier nan 2024 election, he told Semafor that a 10 to 20 percent tariff to boost American manufacturing would beryllium reasonable.

“It would consequence successful higher import prices,” he said. “But connected nan different hand, it supports home manufacturing, truthful you get much jobs, much finance successful nan US, much taxes.”

Two months earlier, Paulson told CNBC that Trump’s tariff plans were “well-founded.”

He’s besides publically opposed moving jobs overseas. “We can’t person American producers closing American factories and offshoring,” he told nan outlet. “We request to protect American jobs and protect American manufacturing,”

Robert Hines, president of UAW Local 2359 and a worker astatine nan Conn-Selmer works successful Ohio, said Paulson’s latest determination smacks of hypocrisy.

“To spell publically connected CNBC to support nan Trump administration’s affirmative views connected tariffs and each that stuff, and past you move astir and [say you] want to spell nonstop nan activity correct complete to China,” Hines told The Guardian. “It’s a slap successful our face.”

Overall, U.S. manufacturing jobs person declined since past spring, erstwhile he first implemented his fierce and wide-ranging tariffs — which he promised would lead to a renaissance of blue-collar jobs, according to Reuters.

The manufacture shed 8,000 jobs successful December, nan Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. And since April employment successful nan assemblage has fallen by much than 70,000 to astir 12.69 cardinal arsenic of December, marking nan worst reference since March 2022.