The famous kitchen appliance brand Tupperware recently announced it would shut down its last factory in the U.S. amid challenging financial circumstances. The company is planning to relocate its production to Mexico.
As a result, the food storage brand is set to fire roughly 150 employees in the Hemingway, South Carolina location beginning in late September. The layoffs will continue until January 2025, when the plant is scheduled to close permanently.
A representative said on behalf of Tupperware, “It’s important to note this decision is not a reflection of the performance of the Hemingway [team]. We appreciate each of our valued team members and the many years of service they have dedicated to our salesforce and to the company.”
Following the news, conservatives have blamed “Bidenomics” for the off-shoring of this American staple in the plastics industry. Conservative commentator Paul A. Szypula had this to say, “Tupperware Brands just announced it’ll be closing its South Carolina factory, the company’s last remaining plant in the US, and laying off 148 employees. The iconic plastic food container company will now have all of its manufacturing operations in Mexico. That’s Bidenomics.”
Furthermore, Conservative Brief weighed in, “Bidenomics At Work – Tupperware Closes Last Plant In another sign of President Biden’s “Build Back Better” motto, Tupperware Brands has announced it’s closing the last remaining plant in America, located in South Carolina. All 148 employees will be losing their jobs. They will now exclusively have all manufacturing done in Mexico. Have Biden’s economic policies helped job growth and the economy?”
Since Biden took office, consumers and businesses have faced challenging financial circumstances amid a difficult macroeconomic backdrop. Interest rates have skyrocketed in an attempt to quell persistent inflation that reached decade highs in 2022.
The president has faced criticism of his economic policies, such as his hostility toward the fossil fuels industry, which many argue has exacerbated energy prices, a key component of inflation. Furthermore, Biden has faced backlash for continued fiscal stimulus in an already hot economy that could have exacerbated price increases.
As a result, many Americans harbor a pessimistic outlook toward the economy, which has become a top-of-mind issue for many voters and could play a decisive role in the upcoming election. Earlier this year, The American Tribune reported on the souring sentiment of undecided swing state voters who unanimously agreed that Trump’s economic policies are superior to Biden’s.
One Wisconsin voter, Nathan, stated, “I think he’s been absolutely disastrous for the economy.” Following Nathan’s comment, others appeared to nod in agreement that they shared his opinion. “Raise your hand if you think President Trump’s policies on the economy would be better for your family, personally,” the group was asked, to which every single person raised their hand.
“We have areas here in Pennsylvania where it’s just at a standstill right now. Like, things are supposed to be being built and the interest rates are just way too high for people to, you know, invest and start moving around,” on Pennsylvania voter said. “The interest rate is so high right now and I know they’re trying to cut the inflation down, but like, if nobody is building, no businesses are really coming to Pennsylvania right now to keep us moving forward.”
Featured image credit: Melissa Highton, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tupperware_(2).jpg
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