Tariff Wars...

[2leftears]

While I have slowed down recently, I would think that I would buy a few items per year (amp or headphone), if something interested me or the price was right. Be it a big sale or a used item.

I am in Canada so the exchange rate is turning me off already, so I can't see making any American purchases in the near future. And add tarrifs on top of that.
I am hopeful that Asian and European pricing (tarrifs) won't affect us much.

But as the experts keep saying, NO ONE wins a trade war.

One problem is that many products aren't really "made" in any particular country. Design happens in one country, final assembly in a different country, components get sourced from potentially many different countries, and these components themselves may also be assembled from other components and materials sourced from other countries. The manufacture of a product these days may involve many materials, components, and sub-assemblies travelling back and forth across borders multiple times. In theory every time that happens a tariff may apply.

That's why for a consumer it is very hard to guess how much any given product may be affected in price due to all these tariffs.

 

[bagwell359]

History of the past century indicates that tariff and trade wars have no victors.

 

[Philimon]

History of the past century indicates that tariff and trade wars have no victors.

Tariffs are anti free market.

Tariffs were paused but some made out like bandits. I dont want to say it was insider trading but hours prior to pausing tariffs a certain president said “buy now”.

 

[2leftears]

Tariffs are anti free market.

Tariffs were paused but some made out like bandits. I dont want to say it was insider trading but hours prior to pausing tariffs a certain president said “buy now”.

I used to work in finance and every year we got regulatory training on these matters. I have noticed over the past few years that certain influential people get away with trading practices or issuing trade advice that, had I done that, I would be in jail. Insider information, possession of material non-public information; once you get beyond a certain 'pay-grade' it appears the rules/law no longer apply...

 

[Daiyama]

Maybe headfier are lucky and audio gear is included in this exemption?

govdelivery

News sites only writes about smartphones, computers and other electronics.
Needs an expert to translate these numbers.

But, what a stupid back and forth…

 

[MDR7506Mike]

 

[Daiyama]

Thx, it does not look like headfiers got any luck with this list.

 

[Sebasistan]

So I checked, ordering from Hifigo, which I think ships from China, they advertise "free shipping, taxes & fees paid by hifigo." Undercutting their Amazon store actually.
Now I wonder if I order something from them if that item will take months to arrive because it'll get stuck at completely overwhelmed customs...

 

[2leftears]

So I checked, ordering from Hifigo, which I think ships from China, they advertise "free shipping, taxes & fees paid by hifigo." Undercutting their Amazon store actually.
Now I wonder if I order something from them if that item will take months to arrive because it'll get stuck at completely overwhelmed customs...

That's one thing I am unclear on, and I haven't been able to find a clear answer. If something arrives at customs on day X, but thanks to them being overwhelmed under a barrage of changing tariffs it doesn't get processed until e.g. day X+30, which tariff will apply? (the tariffs may have been changed multiple time in the intermediate period whilst the imported items were "stuck" at customs.)

That is no doubt why so many shipments are now being delayed and held back in warehousing: the uncertainty.

 

[raymondlin]

Hong Kong has suspended all postal service to the US…

 

[Sebasistan]

That's one thing I am unclear on, and I haven't been able to find a clear answer. If something arrives at customs on day X, but thanks to them being overwhelmed under a barrage of changing tariffs it doesn't get processed until e.g. day X+30, which tariff will apply? (the tariffs may have been changed multiple time in the intermediate period whilst the imported items were "stuck" at customs.)

That is no doubt why so many shipments are now being delayed and held back in warehousing: the uncertainty.

I might just order through the hifigo Amazon shop even if that's a bit more expensive... I'd rather avoid Amazon. And I don't *need* the IEM I have my eyes on overnight. Or even the next week. But within a month would be nice.

Hong Kong has suspended all postal service to the US…

Is Hifigo located in Hong Kong? Or rather, does their online store (as opposed to their Amazon.com store) ship from there? IIRC most of the Chinese vendors ship from the mainland. (Honest question, I don't know...)

 

[InvisibleInk]

Hong Kong has suspended all postal service to the US…

Penon is located in Hong Kong

 

[lostumpire]

Holo Audio stopped receiving US orders…

 

[oldmate]

Fiio prices to increase by 40% to US.

View attachment fiio.webp

 

[Charai]

Aliexpress has increased order fees by 150% to 250%. Tariffs combined with the end of De Minimis looks like it's the end of American Consumerism and for a lot, maybe this hobby. Chifi is definitely dead in the water cus of this lol

Actually, since companies source parts from multiple other manufacturers, and manufacturers have their manufacturers, so on and so forth all the way down to the raw materials, every company will increase prices, and likely more than just X% from tariffs, as we saw wth covid price increases. Once the prices go up, they don't come down unless some companies feel a little generous