President Trump’s tariff policy has caused stress throughout the world and in every sector that depends on international trad, and the musical instruments market is no different.
Now the President and CEO of NAMM (the US National Association of Music Merchants) John Mlynczak has urged Trump to make an exception for the instrument market.
“The negative effects of these measures threaten the economic and cultural impact of US-made musical instruments and accessories,” Mlynczak said in a statement, “as well as cause our US music products industry to lose its global competitive advantage in producing high-quality products, especially at professional and entry levels.”
Trump paused reciprocal tariffs for 90 days last week, which NAMM described as a “welcomed measure”. However, they maintain that the continued “unpredictability” of tariff actions has caused major disruption for companies and made it difficult for them to react “in a meaningful way.”
“The back-and-forth raising of tariffs between the U.S. and Chinese governments that we have witnessed this past week will have serious business implications and create consumer turmoil for the music products industry.
"The effects of these sudden and unpredictable tariff actions will have a long-term effect on musicians worldwide.”
The instruments sector, like so many in modern capitalism, is international in nature, something that the Trump administration seems to have overlooked entirely. Many manufacturers, though based in the US, source components from elsewhere and tariffs inevitably push up unit costs and thus prices. This is not complicated.
Indeed, Mlynczak has confirmed that NAMM has sent a letter in support of U.S.-based acoustic stringed instrument manufacturers, to try and dissuade the U.S. Secretary of Commerce from imposing tariffs on tonewoods – a crucial component for many ‘U.S.-made’ musical brands that cannot be grown within the 50 states and thus has to be imported.
In a statement issued earlier this month, Mlynczak pointed out that while 13% of US imports come from China, the same figure for the music industry’s imports is 43%. At present Trump has imposed an eye-watering 145% tariff on imports from China.
Manufacturers both small and large are having to adjust, and fast. Fender’s credit rating has recently been downgraded by Moody’s as their operating costs are set to rise by $20million. Many smaller manufacturers may well go to the wall.
Other than them, the main loser will be ordinary musicians. Morgan Amps has already estimated that the proposed tariffs are likely to add up to $1,000 to the price of an amp head.
But manufacturers, retailers and punters alike can’t say they weren’t warned - Trump made this tariff policy a central plank of his 2024 election campaign. So isn’t this what 77 million Americans voted for?
