SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., Aug. 16, 2019—President Trump postponed the 10 percent tariffs on Chinese-made goods, set to take effect on Sept. 1, for many categories of goods—but not winter sports gear. As a result, ski gear made in China will be subject to the 10 percent tariff.

The list of gear subject to the tariff includes skis, ski and snowboard boots, ski bindings, ski poles, a broad range of gloves and coats, helmets and safety headgear, goggles, recreational outerwear, sweaters and hats, ski suits, and sporting footwear, along with a variety of other sporting goods.

A few winter sports goods, including some categories of gloves, knit hats, and sport bags, were already subject to the 25 percent tariff imposed last May. (See Headline News, "Latest Trump Tariffs Would Impact Winter Sports Goods," saminfo.com, for more on tariffs.)

The monthly "Capitol Watch" e-newsletter of the National Ski Areas Association notes that, oddly, the tariff on snowshoes was deferred until Dec. 15; and snowboards appear not to be subject to these new tariffs.

Ski products imported from countries other than China, of course, will not be subject to the increased tariffs. Most bindings are made in Europe, for example, as are many ski boots. And products already imported, even if made in China, also escaped the tax.

It is too early to know how suppliers and retail shops will react to the tariffs. Since most resorts and retail shops purchased goods for this winter during the past spring, and many of those goods will have arrived in the U.S. prior to Sept. 1, this latest round of tariffs won't have a large immediate effect. But over the next several months, as the tariffs come into play, the tariffs could impact reorders later this year. Beyond that, the greatest impact could be to orders for the 2020-21 season. They might lead rental shops to postpone plans to upgrade their fleets, for example.

If tariffs remain in place, will suppliers and retailers absorb some or all of the costs of these new tariffs, or pass them on to consumers? Regardless of what happens this winter, one winter sports buying group president told SAM that, in the long run, tariff costs eventually get passed on to consumers. "That's been the case in every instance in the past," he said.