Manufacturing Talk Radio End of Year Manufacturing Round Table w/ Lewis Weiss, Cliff Waldman, and Chris Kuehl | PART 2
Jan 27, 2026
Chris Kuehl, Managing Partner and Chief Economist at Armada Corporate Intelligence, gives a crisp macroeconomic view. He discusses China’s slowing growth and domestic risks. He covers tariffs and their hidden costs, copper shortages and supply shifts, Europe's uneven recovery and defense burdens, and the vital, strained trade ties across North America. Predictions point to volatility and uncertainty in 2026.
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China’s Domestic Drag Threatens Global Growth
- China’s growth faces deep domestic limits from demographics and a property bubble burst, which risks halving its planned growth.
- Chris Kuehl warns that weaker China increases global economic risk and will spill into Europe and North America.
Tariffs Create Unintended Supply Pain
- Tariffs are political tools with broad, unintended economic consequences across supply chains.
- Lewis Weiss shows tariffs on Brazil and others pushed copper and commodity prices sharply higher, hurting U.S. users.
Treat Copper As A Strategic Input
- Recognize acute copper shortages as a strategic manufacturing constraint for tech and infrastructure.
- Avoid protectionist moves that raise input costs for domestic industries dependent on copper.