Back in the early 1980s, if you were picking up a guitar with dreams of making it big in metal, there was one clear path: mastering lightning-fast solos in the vein of Eddie Van Halen or Randy Rhoads.

The business he works for is about to be hit with a 25% tariff from China, effective June 1. Peterson is parts and service director for SSI Shredding Systems in Wilsonville, which makes industrial ...