China is a primary target in the tariff wars, but most nations world wide are also feeling the sting of the Administration’s strong efforts to equalize tariff inequalities. (Wikimedia Commons)
As in pretty much every other industry except native basket weaving, companies in the fishing and boating business are undergoing tariff whiplash injuries daily with the on-again, off-again, mine-is-bigger-than-yours, I-don’t-care-who-likes-it tariff policies.
Actually, calling it a policy is grossly over-dignifying it—let’s settle for the time being on the U.S. Tariff Whim of the Day.
“The First Gangsta President” seems bent on living up to the appellation applied to him by Sammy “The Bull” Gravano with tactics that appear designed to intimidate friend and foe alike, both internationally and internally.
They’re also scaring hell out of everybody’s 401K.
It’s almost enough to make a guy start watching MSNBC . . . naww, not that extreme, but you get the picture.
My wife, an avowed Trumpster complete with red MAGA hat and Trump T-shirt, assures me it’s all going according to plan. But the plan sometimes seems like something out of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at times these days.
The inconsistencies are attributed to the President’s proven tactics from The Art of the Deal, starting with way more than you expect to get and then negotiating downward. Not a bad business strategy in many ways.
Products from all over the world are being affected—and so is the U.S. stock market as tariff policy appears to change almost daily. (Wikimedia Commons)
But when you do this sort of thing by public proclamation instead of behind the scenes negotiations, you make the other countries, friend and foe alike, either bow up or knuckle under. It’s like being sucker punched by your brother. Some dig in their heels just because they don’t like being bullied in public.
To be sure, a lot of nations have been taking advantage of U.S. goodwill and lackadaisical trade policies for decades, and the Trump team is to be credited for bringing that to a stop—but it could have been done without all the sturm und drangand all the damage to relations with countries that until now have been our allies in terms of the East/West balance of power, with a bit more planning, aforethought and confidential communications.
And we can be sure, these nations will all remember these negotiations when it comes to setting their own foreign policy in the future.
Those easy trips across our northern border to their astounding hunting and fishing opportunities across Canada may become more like a trip into Russia in terms of customs inspections and delays—and Florida tourism operators report that bookings to the Sunshine State from Canadians have already cratered as a result of both tariffs and the totally unnecessary comments about making the nation into another U.S. state.
On the Bright Side
President Trump has won big on many of his policies in a very short time, but the tariff wars are causing issues both at home and abroad.(Photo by Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia)
The vast majority of Americans are breathing a huge sigh of relief as the President’s border policies, anti-crime policies, DEI policies, re-shoring jobs efforts and other programs push toward changes that have been needed for 40 years—a return to sanity in many ways.
But the tariff circus is just not a good look—and it’s sure to have a lot of bad results for a lot of industries including fishing and boating, as well as for millions of American consumers who will be faced with price jumps on everything from fish hooks and snaps and swivels to inflatable boats and outboard engines.
ASA Vice President of Government Affairs Mike Leonard has penned a dissection of the latest missives on tariff issues related to fishing gear—you can see it here: https://asafishing.org/faq-trade-and-tariffs.
— Frank Sargeant
Frankmako1@gmail.com
