The ongoing debate—maybe threats and counter-threats would be a more accurate description—over tariffs in trade between the United States and China is causing no shortage of concerns for the lighting industry.
With much of the industry’s products being sourced and manufactured in China, the lighting business is particularly vulnerable to any major shifts in how these goods are taxed. So far, lighting products have escaped being charged with higher duties during the initial rounds of tariffs put into place by the Trump administration.
However, a third round that would include more than $200 billion in imports covering 1,079 different classifications would have a major impact on the industry. It contains “numerous codes of lighting products,” according to the American Lighting Association which has been monitoring the situation.
In a statement released to its members, the association came out forcefully against these proposed additions: “ALA strongly opposes any proposed tariff that will raise consumer prices, have a negative effect on lighting, controls and ceiling fan sales and, ultimately, have a severe negative effect on the economy and jobs.”
The comment period to the United States Trade Representative ended the first week of September, but ALA is urging its members to let their opinions be known. Eric Jacobson, ALA’s president and CEO, testified at the public hearings. Read a transcript of Jacobson’s testimony here. More information on the association’s position on tariffs and on the actions it has taken is available here.