There’s been a lot of speculation about the exact effects of the latest tariff (145%) on Chinese goods.
And while we’re sure every at-home economist likely has a few valid points, we wanted to hear directly from the people actually making and selling skateboards about how these ongoing tariff negotiations might affect the skate industry.
Over the past two weeks, we reached out to various shops, manufacturers, and distributors on the front lines. These ten got back to us. None of them had to take time out of their hectic schedules to answer our questions—especially with such transparency—so we want to show them extra love for pulling back the curtain and filling us in.
Here’s the question we asked all of them:
Are the tariffs, specifically the Chinese tariff, affecting your business at all? How do you think they will affect the skate industry if they sustain?
LABOR SKATE SHOP
NEW YORK CITY
“Currently, there is a lot of uncertainty, but without a doubt the answer is yes.
As I type this, I received a pre-book from an apparel brand giving a heads up that due to the tariffs, prices are going to go up
Other brands have sent us various emails giving us a heads up/warning that they will absorb the costs of the tariffs for one season that has already been booked out (for those unfamiliar, most shops book products almost a year ahead so that the brands can get production orders in, and deliver everything on time), but cannot do so moving forward.
Other brands have let us know to expect price changes.
We make some of our Labor apparel and accessories in China as well. Short term we can adjust and eat into our margin a little so we can soften the blow of a price change, but as some point the prices will have to go up, perhaps quite a lot.
If the tariffs end up sticking around, and they are at the rate that has been proposed, it seems to me to be completely unsustainable. The price increases will be hard to manage in an economic climate in which a lot of people are already stretched pretty thin. I suspect if it sticks around, there will have to be, more or less, a complete overhaul to the way in which we think about the skateboard industry. In my opinion, this would apply to almost every part of it.” – James Rewolinski
BLUETILE SKATE SHOP
SOUTH CAROLINA
“So far I can say one footwear brand won’t be in the shop for Summer because they’ll be too expensive. Another brand is remaining on docks in a storage house while the tariffs are sorted out.
All trucks could double in price except for Thunder and Ventures. All bearings too, except for Swiss and SKF. I feel like all this is an attack on small business because only companies that can navigate huge losses will survive.
I mean I guess customers could just pay the increased cost and not complain but my gut tells me there is a point where customers just stop buying skate products because it’s too expensive.
But to reiterate… so far it’s just the two footwear brands that have been put on hold… and Sidewalk distribution [home to brands like Opera, Jacuzzi, Slappy] that we’ve seen increases from.
I’m sure more to come.” – David Toole
RAPID SKATE SHOP
CALIFORNIA
“100%. Starting a fucking trade war with a major trade partner will tend to do that.
First off, before even talking about price increases, we’ve seen a dead stop in sales after the tariffs were implemented and the stock market took a dive. No parent will buy their kids new shoes or pants when their 401k is in the fucking toilet. And to be clear, this was not just caused by stocks, the main cause was the massive sell off of US bonds owned by, you guessed it, China. Art of the deal my ass.
Yes, if the tariffs persist, not only will goods be priced too high for US consumers, but we won’t be able to stock them. We’re talking empty shoe walls, and half the apparel from most brands. And there isn’t a quick remedy of just moving production to the US, anyone who thinks that needs to stfu and read a book.
If theres any kids out there reading about this and are nervous or confused, please feel free to reach out to us. Our DMs are open and we’re always happy to explain why this shit is so important and what you can do to help. Don’t let these idiots bankrupt YOUR future.” – Dustin Snyder
WKND / HYPERION DISTRIBUTION
CALIFORNIA
“Yeah, tarrifs are really fucking us up. We just got a shipping invoice and I almost cried. No idea how the industry is going to work this out. Prices are going to have to go up.
This first wave is especially damaging since we pre-sold orders to shops 5 months ago before these tariffs existed. Now it’s arriving and we can’t exactly change the prices on shops that already paid and placed orders. It’s going to be a big loss. Then again it’s hard to really plan anything out since the psychopath in the White House changes his mind daily. I’m really hoping it’s all just a pump fake that’ll be taken back in another week or so.” – Grant Yansura
HLC DISTRIBUTION
TEXAS & EUROPE
“Well, fortunately for us, our new factory is here in Texas, and all our outsourced raw materials come from the USA. Neither our prices nor our production will be affected by any tariffs. Our production for shops, external brands and our own brands are Made in the USA.
As we all know, the hardgoods market has been going through some tough challenges over the past couple of years, with massive overstock liquidations and rapidly increasing prices on new stock. It’s clear that any overseas production will become more expensive, making it harder for shops to maintain a good rotation on their board walls. In my opinion, it will be tough for brands and shops to accurately forecast sales and margins with such big swings over the next couple of years for anyone manufacturing outside the U.S. Skate shops are the backbone of our industry and the ones we should focus on supporting. Please buy from and support your local shop whenever you can—we’ll be here to help in any way we can.
Our business will stay the same, our prices and quality won’t change. We’re proud to offer the highest quality, single-pressed, Made in the USA boards at a good competitive price. We’re definitely getting a lot busier, but we’re ready for it. We’re currently expanding the factory and adding shifts to meet the high demand.”
– Ruben Garcia
GENERATOR DISTRIBUTION
CALIFORNIA
“In regards to Chinese tariffs, we aren’t really affected. The only thing that could possibly be affected would be our packaging film, which our distributor sources from China, and some of our heat transfers, which don’t amount to much. As of right now there are no tentative increases set on the packaging as they already have a lot in stock and all of our other products are either from Mexico or the USA.
There are a lot of skate brands that import shoes, clothes, hardware, bearings, trucks, wheels and grip from overseas, so I would imagine in the next few months we will see prices going up for those brands.
After the inflationary period during the last administration we saw a big increase in retail prices, which I assume are going to go up again and will probably push a lot of consumers towards the tons of discounted goods that have flooded the market post Covid.
There is also personal economics involved, higher day to day living expenses on everyday goods are going to reduce the amount of disposable income most people have, which will change people’s buying habits in a big way. But I have been in the skateboard industry since I got out of college in the 90’s and I have seen many different phases (not just pant sizes). The common thread I’ve seen is people that skate will continue to skate, in the good times and bad times.. or at least as long as their backs and knees hold out.” – Justin Iwanicha
CHINESE MANUFACTURER
“The tariffs are definitely affecting our business. Costs have risen, creating market instability that shakes the entire industry. If the tariffs persist, it will impact Chinese factories and lead to higher prices from Western brands on their products.” [Editor’s note: This industry person was open to talking, but only anonymously.]
CHINESE DISTRIBUTOR
“We’ve had to discontinue purchases from some American apparel brands marked as ‘Made in USA,’ as the tariffs have made them unprofitable. We also expect prices on ‘Made in China’ goods in the States to rise due to these tariffs.
International brands will struggle to survive in China. The country has yet to recover from the ‘Covid depression.’ During the pandemic, business boomed, and distributions and shops ended up overstocked. Once the pandemic eased, businesses were left with excess inventory and declining sales. This issue continues in the wake of the trade war, and many factories now have no choice but to accept small direct orders from customers, which is creating significant challenges for wholesalers and retailers.
As tariffs rise, demand for these imported products will likely decrease. Factories will increasingly focus on the domestic market. Chinese-branded skate products could emerge as the local equivalent of domestic cars like Xiaomi’s SU7, offering more value compared to international brands. Ultimately, the question becomes: are we buying for function, or for culture?” [Editor’s note: This industry person was open to talking, but only anonymously.]
DLX DISTRIBUTION
CALIFORNIA
“The tariffs are going to affect skating in every facet. We don’t know the full effect yet though.” – Jim Thiebaud
BBS MANUFACTURING
MEXICO
“Tariffs won’t affect our business, because we manufacture in Mexico. And we’re part of the USMCA [A free trade agreement between Mexico, Canada and the US]. All of our raw materials come from the US, virtually 99% of them. Our wood comes from Wisconsin, our glue comes from Ohio. Our lacquer comes from Southern California. The only thing that comes from outside of the United States of America is the pigment that we use to dye the wood. And, for the most part, it’s the same thing for the trucks and wheels that we produce.
So in my specific case, what Trump wants to do with bringing manufacturing back, it’s going to work. Even though we produce in Mexico, I buy literally 100% of my raw materials from the United States. So, it will bring up employment here. If due to tariffs things become more expensive to make in China, it will improve manufacturing in the United States.
For other brands in the industry, things are going to go up. Certain products more than others. The cheap completes, those will go up in price. Those are 100% made in China. Around 30% of the high end decks [the decks you pick off the wall] are made in China, so some of them will go up. Around 50-60% of trucks are made in China, so some of those brands will go up.
Shoes are going to go up, backpacks are going to go up. T-shirts maybe not as much because I think a lot of them are produced in North America. Apparel, the people that source soft goods are probably struggling quite a bit. But that’s not my world, so I can’t speak for them.
But, I don’t think there’s going to be 145% tariff on China forever. Things will shift.”
– Grant Burns
Article by: Ian Michna
Additional Help: William Cui
Header Illustration by: Jessi Knox
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