How Trump tariffs hit Ukraine's wounded war veterans

DW (English)

A US company that manufactures machines used to build prosthetic limbs is on a mission to help Ukrainian veterans by donating life-changing equipment. But tariffs now stand in the way of helping Ukraine’s wounded.

Transcript

00:01For the first time in his life, this Ukrainian soldier walks on his new leg.

00:07A U.S. company donated the machines that makes these prosthetics possible.

00:12But their work is becoming much more difficult.

00:15Tariffs are driving up costs.

00:20It's insane.

00:23Will tariffs stand in the way of helping Ukraine's wounded?

00:27So this is the machine that we have developed for making prosthetic sockets.

00:33It is a 3D printer.

00:35The socket is what comes out of the machine.

00:41So then you would attach it to the puck to lock it in place.

00:45So there's your foot assembly pylon attached to the socket.

00:49So, you know, basically it's that attached to that.

00:54Tony wants to send 26 more of those machines to Ukraine, but here's the problem.

01:00The screw that you see here, the rails that they ride on, those are Japanese.

01:07The motors, which you see driving the rails, are from China.

01:13So basically everything on this machine is tariffed.

01:16Without tariffs, the machine costs 18,000 U.S. dollars.

01:21Tariffs could add a couple of thousands on top.

01:24We've already laid off 15 people in the last two months because of declining sales.

01:29We're already feeling it.

01:31We're already seeing it in the expense of our products.

01:33I mean, we're negotiating.

01:34We're trying to keep prices down as best we can.

01:37But there's just certain things we have no control over.

01:39Tony checks in with his supply chain director.

01:42Hi, Rich.

01:43Hey, Tony.

01:43How about you give me a rundown of where we are at tariffs today?

01:47Stressful.

01:48Very stressful.

01:49It was at 145%.

01:52I am constantly looking at what the changes are with the tariffs.

01:58And then from there, trying to understand what the amount is going to be,

02:03how much we're going to have to absorb, how much we need to pass on our customers.

02:07The tariffs add extra costs to raw materials like aluminum, as well as to the imported components.

02:16Yeah, it's just completely unrealistic for us to even consider all of our sourcing in the United States.

02:22All of these parts are coming in from all over the world.

02:24We would then have to redesign our machines.

02:27You're talking about a generation's worth of work.

02:29This is not a short-term thing.

02:31This will take many, many, many years for us to do.

02:34Despite the difficulties, Tony wants to keep giving.

02:38So far, four machines have already made it to Brovary, Ukraine.

02:42But that was before the tariffs hit.

02:45Now, U.S. staff are showing their Ukrainian partners how to use the equipment via video calls.

02:51Giving up is not an option.

02:53You have to deal with it.

02:55You have to show the people that are working for you that you are trying to manage as best you can.

03:00You just got to stay the course.

03:02Try to figure it out.

03:03You know, as these things change, try to adapt as best we can.

03:07He's one step closer to his goal of getting 30 prosthetic printers to Ukraine.

03:13His engineers could assemble this machine with parts that he bought before the tariffs hit.

03:17Now, it's being prepared for shipping.

03:20But the uncertainty is still on Tony's mind.

03:25What will have to happen is there's going to have to be some type of consistency in the tariff situation

03:32so that we all know the rules and that we can all act accordingly.

03:36Until there is some kind of certainty around tariffs, it's going to be chaotic.

03:42It's just the only way to explain it.

03:43It's just plain chaos.

03:45At least this one is good to go.

03:50Just some last-minute fine-tuning on the packaging before shipping.

03:54Destination Ukraine.

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