President Donald Trump’s announcement that he plans to order new tariffs on steel and aluminum isn’t likely to impact sporting goods or outdoor gear suppliers, according to analysis by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA).
“Most of our manufacturers import finished products into the U.S., and this potential tariff only applies to bulk steel imports, so it will not have a major impact on our industry. We have a very small number of companies importing foreign steel to manufacture their products domestically,” wrote Alli Schulman, coordinator, communications & marketing for SFIA, in an e-mail to SFIA. “While there may be a few isolated cases of domestic production that feel more pain, the vast majority of our members do not fall under this category, and we have not heard from any members concerned about this issue.”
