Семейный завод Capital Steel вынужден повышать цены из-за торговой войны США и Канады

‘A lot of stress’: Holt steel fabricator navigates rising costs amid US-Canada tariff war Family-owned Capital Steel faces price hikes as regional economists warn of long-term trade pain HOLT, Mich. (News 10) - Small business owners in mid-Michigan are bracing for economic fallout as a high-stakes trade standoff between the United States and Canada triggers retaliatory tariffs. While the geopolitical dispute plays out in Washington and Ottawa, family-owned companies like Capital Steel in Holt are once again forced to navigate severe market uncertainty and rising internal costs. Founded in 1968, Capital Steel has weathered decades of economic shifts. For Chief Operating Officer Ben Buyak, the family-first business is a deeply personal legacy. Buyak took over operations in 2018 after his father passed away. “We’re a family-first business and I don’t take that lightly,” Buyak said. “It’s a lot of trials, tribulations, and a lot of stress. It has been extremely difficult since 2020.” The recent breakdown in trade negotiations between the U.S. and Canada has introduced a new wave of challenges. Following Canada’s withdrawal from talks, the U.S. imposed tariffs on Canadian imports, prompting Canada to strike back with $20 billion in retaliatory tariffs. These duties target key American sectors, including steel, aluminum, and dairy. Michigan State University Associate Professor of Economics Oren Ziv warns that even localized businesses with no direct ties to international trade will soon feel the pinch. “Even if you’re not directly engaged in trade with Canada, you’re potentially seeing effects of the tariff through market prices,” Ziv explained, noting that local market rates frequently adjust to match the prices of tariffed goods. While the U.S. economy holds significant leverage on a national scale, Michigan’s local economy is uniquely vulnerable. The state relies on Canada to receive roughly 40 percent of its manufactured exports. Ziv says the “on-again, off-again” nature of international trade talks creates a climate of uncertainty that can freeze business investment and job growth for five to ten years. For Capital Steel, the rising tides of inflation and tariffs have forced difficult operational adjustments. For the first time since Buyak took over in 2018, the fabricator had to raise prices on its products. At the same time, the company is dealing with sharp increases in overhead. Capital Steel pays 100-percent of its employees’ healthcare benefits, but maintaining that same level of coverage has come with a 20 percent cost increase across the board. Despite the mounting financial pressures, Buyak says his priority remains keeping his staff together and ensuring they are taken care of. “I’m responsible for eight other people’s incomes,” Buyak said. “If I don’t do my job, they don’t get paid. We will continue to push forward as hard as we can.” The current trade dispute relies on a nearly century-old provision of the Tariff Act of 1930, which allows the administration to impose up to 50 percent tariffs on nations deemed to be discriminating against American products. As the legal boundaries of those trade tools continue to be debated in court, mid-Michigan’s small businesses are left in the crossfire, hoping to steer through yet another economic storm. Stream News 10 Lansing on your favorite devices! Here’s how to download the News 10+ app on Roku, Fire TV or Apple TV. Be the first to see the Mid-Michigan headlines you care about – download the News 10+ app and subscribe to our News 10 newsletter and YouTube page to receive the latest local news and weather. Copyright 2026 WILX. All rights reserved.