Drew Dixon
U.S. Rep. Mike Haridopolos has secured trade relief for Piper Aircraft manufacturing operations on the Treasure Coast that should help save jobs.
Haridopolos, an Indian Harbour Beach Republican, announced trade exemptions that will prevent possible layoffs at the airplane manufacturing facilities in Vero Beach. Haridopolos acknowledged that leaders from Piper played a key role in getting the exemptions.
“Piper Aircraft is an essential part of Vero Beach’s economy and Florida’s proud manufacturing tradition,” Haridopolos said in a news release. “When I found out that these jobs were at risk, we got to work. My team worked with Piper’s leadership and the Trump administration to make sure these skilled, hardworking Floridians would not feel uncertainty as we fight to level the playing field for American workers.”
Haridopolos and his staff found a provision in federal guidelines that would provide relief for the impact of the tariffs on the airplane manufacturer.
Piper had been considering layoffs this year, in part, due to trade tariff increases on the materials the manufacturer uses to build its planes in Vero Beach. Haridopolos said he and his team engaged federal trade officials and advocated for targeted relief for Piper while upholding federal trade policy goals.
When President Donald Trump instituted 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico earlier this year, Piper began considering plans to compensate rising production costs that resulted from those fees. That included the possible layoffs among the 1,500 workers at the Vero Beach factory. Turboprop engines for some of the Piper airplanes are built at Pratt & Whitney facilities in Canada.
Piper officials said Haridopolos deserves credit for the financial and regulatory maneuver.
“This kind of problem-solving matters,” said Piper Aircraft CEO John Calcagno in a news release.
“It keeps American manufacturers competitive. It protects skilled labor. And in this case, it made a direct difference for our community here on the Treasure Coast. As a result, our workers can keep doing what they do best — building world-class aircraft that reflect the skill, dedication, and ingenuity of American manufacturing. This was government at its best: responsive, informed, and focused on solving a real-world problem in our community.”
