Music gear prices are skyrocketing as a result of the Trump administration’s new tariffs, and this is going to significantly impact US musicians’ instrument purchase plans for the foreseeable future.
Electronic music gear buyers are likely to experience sticker shock in the next few months, as prices for gear manufactured in China more than double, and prices for US-made products rise because of dependencies on Chinese-made components.
Some manufacturers and retailers are reacting to this by trying to be transparent about the impact of the new tariffs on gear pricing.
For example, electronic music gear maker Sonicware – maker of the Liven line of synths, CyDrums and other instruments – has updated its site to show the impact of the Trump administration’s new tariffs on pricing.
Their listing for the CyDrums includes this warning for US buyers:
“Important Notice for USA Customers
Due to new U.S. customs regulations, a 145% duty will apply to China-made products, including this item.
This $399 item will incur over $578 in additional import charges starting next month. We recommend ordering within this month to avoid the new duties.”
We’ve seen similar messages via email from other manufacturers. You can also check out the price at Amazon site.
For US gear makers, it may be more challenging to show the exact impact of the new tariffs, because the manufacturers have to deal with the prices of Chinese-made components more than doubling. In addition to creating supply-chain nightmares for manufacturers, this could create accounting challenges for companies that want to be transparent about how the new taxes impact pricing.
When it comes to US-based music retailers, they are warning about the tariff-driven price increases. Sweetwater earlier this year warned, “We anticipate that many manufacturers could increase their prices from as little as 5% to 40% or more in the coming months,” and this was prior to the administration’s most recent tariff increases.
We have not seen retailers trying to directly show the impact of tariffs, yet, whether it’s because of accounting challenges or politics.
The administration positions the tariffs as necessary, as part of its strategies for fighting Fentanyl abuse and trade deficits in goods. The tariffs are seen as self-destructive by most US economists and CEOs, though, because tariffs have historically contributed to inflation, increased unemployment and economic depression.
Unfortunately, the bottom line for musicians that live in the US is that gear prices are going way up. And, for US-based gear makers, it will be harder to compete internationally, as tariffs on imported components drive up manufacturing costs.
Should US music gear manufacturers and retailers be transparent about the impact of new US tariffs on prices? Leave a comment and let us know what you’d like to see when you’re making buying decisions.
