VERO BEACH, Fla. — The ongoing tariff talk in Washington has one Treasure Coast manufacturer trying to be proactive to protect jobs and minimize any negative consequences.
Piper Aircraft in Vero Beach employs about 1,500 people.
WATCH BELOW: Piper Aircraft taking "proactive steps" amid tariffs
The company said that if the tariff situation is not resolved "very soon," long-term impacts could then lead to higher aircraft component costs.
In a Tuesday statement, Piper Aircraft President and CEO John Calcagno said the following:
"We are diligently working all industry and government channels in an attempt to rectify what we believe are unintended tariff consequences. Piper employs Americans to manufacture aircraft, and at present we are being financially penalized for doing so versus our competitors in Europe that sell their aircraft into the United States free of tariffs," Calcagno said. "The negative effects of the current tariff situation on American aircraft manufacturers cannot be understated. The constant, daily changes makes it almost impossible to run our business."
WPTV tried to get an interview with the company on Tuesday but was unsuccessful.
The company said it is working on "multiple fronts" to address the issue.
Their statement on Tuesday said that while they fully support the goal of "Made in America" and U.S. job growth, changing supply chains in aviation takes time.
"Piper makes 90% of the parts on our aircraft right here in Vero Beach," the company said. "However, substituting a single component part on an aircraft in our supply chain requires FAA approval with long lead times that take months or years to complete due to testing and approval programs with extreme added costs."
Piper is coming off a year where it delivered more planes than any year since 2001.
The company said it will continue to meet with state and federal congressional leaders to make them aware of the situation.
