The Lunch Hour with Washington Signal
The Lunch Hour with Washington Signal covers wide-ranging discussions with the Capitol city's policy movers, shakers, and thinkers. The Lunch Hour provides a unique look at the people behind the policy debates that are moving in DC.
The Lunch Hour with Washington Signal
Ep. 188 - Tariffs, Food Security & the Future of American Manufacturing w/Scott Breen
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How does a tariff on steel end up affecting the price of canned food at the grocery store?
On this episode of the Federal Newswire Lunch Hour Podcast, host Andrew Langer sits down with Scott Breen, President of the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI), to discuss the intersection of trade policy, food security, manufacturing, and consumer prices.
Breen explains how steel tariffs are impacting the American food can supply chain, why domestic tinplate steel production has declined dramatically over the past decade, and what that means for farmers, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers.
The conversation explores a fundamental policy question: how can the United States strengthen domestic manufacturing while avoiding unintended consequences that increase costs for American families?
Major topics include:
• The role canned food plays in food security and emergency preparedness
• Why U.S. tinplate steel production has fallen from 12 lines to 3
• How steel tariffs affect food prices at the grocery store
• Competition from imported canned food products
• Buy American policies and country-of-origin labeling
• SNAP benefits, public procurement, and domestic agriculture
• Supply chain resilience and national security concerns
• Recycling, sustainability, and the future of metal packaging
The discussion also examines bipartisan legislation designed to improve country-of-origin labeling and proposals aimed at ensuring federal food purchases better support American farmers and manufacturers.
Throughout the episode, Breen argues that strengthening domestic manufacturing requires a balanced approach—one that supports upstream steel production while also protecting downstream industries that employ thousands of American workers.
00:00 — Intro + Scott Breen joins
01:25 — What the Can Manufacturers Institute does
02:42 — Food security and the importance of canned goods
04:08 — Steel tariffs and rising grocery prices
05:11 — Why domestic tinplate production declined
09:19 — Manufacturing jobs and downstream impacts
10:58 — Imported canned foods and competitive disadvantages
14:48 — American farmers and the food supply chain
17:14 — SNAP benefits and Buy American policies
20:08 — The American CANS Act explained
21:34 — Food security, sustainability, and preparedness
27:05 — What consumers and lawmakers can do
29:18 — Scott Breen’s interests outside work
30:06 — Where to learn more about CMI
31:05 — Closing
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