SMU community chat with Taylor St. Germain of ITR Economics

We discussed the outlook for both the overall economy and also for manufacturing in 2025-26. In addition, we talked about how Trump administration policies when it comes to tariffs and immigration might impact the steel sector and key end-use markets.

Take tariffs, for example. Will they lead to prices high enough to impact GDP, or will the effect be more modest? Could more restrictive immigration policies lead to higher labor costs – especially for industries such as construction that rely heavily on immigrant workers? Or will both measures be more targeted than some headlines suggest?

We also dove into the long-term view that ITR is known for. Let’s say we see a strong economy in the back half of the 2020s. What will happen in the 2030s?

Why you should listen

Those of you who have attended Steel Summit know and value Alan Beaulieu’s perspectives. Taylor is his understudy at ITR Economics and also brings a wealth of his own experience to the table.

He is an economist and speaker at ITR Economics and hosts the firm’s popular TrendsTalk podcast. Taylor spent several years in the tech industry and has worked with numerous distributors, manufacturers, and producers in his current role. Taylor has been featured in OEM Magazine and on The Fab Lab and Wealth Formula podcasts.