METUCHEN – The President of Arrow Fastener of Saddle Brook told state lawmakers that federal tariffs by the Trump Administration impacting foreign steel are killing his business, but so – conceivably – would a $15 minimum wage favored by Governor Phil Murphy.

“A dramatic impact” on 350 workers is how staple boss Gary DuBoff characterized a minimum wage hike to the Manufacturing Caucus this morning, as the caucus primarily tried to figure out how to adjust to the Trump Administration’s imposition of tariffs on some foreign countries that impact American steel and aluminum makers based in New Jersey.

The big room in the SPEX Certiplex Warehouse here was packed. State Senator Sam Thompson, Senator T0ny Bucco, Senator Joe Cryan, Senator Ronald L. Rice and Senator Linda Greenstein sat on one side of Senator Vin Gopal, the caucus chairman. Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese, Assemblywoman Nancy Pinkin, Assemblyman Roy Freiman, Assemblyman Tony Bucco, Jr, and Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling occupied the other.

“There are unintended consequences in most legislation that the federal government enacts and that the state enacts,” said Bucco, Jr. “The bigger picture is what do we do to make it more affordable to maker these manufacturers want to stay here.”

The chairman intervened.

“The senate president came out with an economic and fiscal policy. I don’t agree with everything, but it’s a good, positive step to make the state more affordable,” said Gopal.

Rice argued on behalf of the necessity of a $15 minimum wage.

“When we talk minimum wage at $15 it means we still have to subsidize the rent of working people,” argued the veteran senator from Newark.

“The tariffs have put all of us in a very precarious position,” he added.

Cryan elicited acknowledgement from the manufacturing panel that business was strong pre-tariffs.