We walked the Overland Expo Southern Califonia last weekend. While there, we wanted to get a bunch of brands to answer the question: “How do you think the new tariffs on the imported aluminum and steel will affect not only your business but the industry in general?”
I asked just about 30 brands if they’d like to comment. I figured a lot of brands would have something to say about it.
Most of them didn’t feel comfortable answering it themselves because they just didn’t feel they had enough insight, or they weren’t the right person to speak for the brand… or they wanted to “wait and see”.
Others thought it was going to get them in trouble with their boss. Some didn’t feel they had the time, and some just didn’t want to “get into it”. There were at least 5 brands that said, as we spoke, the person to talk to was either at home in a meeting about the tariffs, or about to go into a meeting the next day about the tariffs.
In the video above, you’ll hear three different opinions from three brands, and we want to thank them for sharing their thoughts.
One thing worth noting that the last time this happened, about seven years ago, U.S. steel and aluminum producers raised their prices to match the new higher prices of imported metals in order to capture more profits.
So, in theory, higher prices for imported materials and goods could make domestic goods more affordable by comparison, that’s rarely how it pans out in the real world.
Whether it’s posturing for bargaining power, or the new reality, we think tariffs aren’t the best solution for ramping up domestic production.
Leave a comment and let us know what you think!
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