The following is a report from Outside.
The bikes, backpacks, tents and other outdoor gear on our wishlists are about to get more expensive — a result of America’s burgeoning trade war.
That’s the consensus of outdoor industry experts who spoke to Outside. As trade debates evolve and escalate on a daily basis, instability is the only constant right now in the outdoor industry, and sources told Outside that we are entering perhaps the most volatile and unpredictable period for businesses in recent memory.
“It’s the only conversation that’s going on right now in the industry,” said Eoin Comerford, the former CEO of Moosejaw who now works with many emerging outdoor brands through his company Outsize Consulting. “Nobody is thinking about anything but tariffs right now.”
On April 9 the U.S. government imposed a series of tariffs on trade partners: imports from all foreign countries are currently subject to a ten percent baseline tariff. President Donald Trump also announced reciprocal tariffs on goods imported from 57 of the U.S.’s largest trade partners. Those include 49 percent tariffs on imports from Cambodia, 46 percent on Vietnam, and 32 percent on Taiwan, all of which are countries that produce goods or materials that American outdoor brands import.
Then, a few hours later, the President delayed the reciprocal tariffs until July 9, but increased tariffs on Chinese goods, which now stand at 245 percent.
Tariffs are taxes levied on goods imported from another country, paid to the home country’s government by the importer. The Trump Administration has said that the tariffs will level imbalances with the countries who exact charges on American imports as well as supposedly bring back domestic manufacturing. But some representatives from outdoor brands told Outside that this change will be impossible without added infrastructure, due to the outdoor industry’s reliance on imported goods and materials.
Read the full report from Outside here.
