Tile Tariffs Don’t Affect American-Made Products
July 11, 2019
July 11, 2019
Although there has been a lot of reportage on the recent 15 percent tariff increase for imported tile products from China, there hasn’t been much said on the fact that it doesn’t affect products made in the USA. With the tariff increase, there is certainly a loss as far as options go. That is, of course, unless interior designers and builders don’t mind the increase.
However, if the Chinese tile tariff is a deterrent for you and your budget, fret not! We provide an extensive variety of beautiful, durable, and eco-friendly tile products that are made right here in America. That also means that there’s no increase in the price point!
Let’s dive a little deeper into the tile tariff, what it means for designers/builders, and what the solutions are to stay within allotted budgets.
Technically, we’re calling it a “tile tariff” because tile is what we do. But really, the tariff is for all imported goods from China. Basically, the U.S. government issued a 10 percent tariff increase in late 2018 on all products imported from China. The tariff has already increased to 15 percent since September of 2018, and it is reported that they could go up as high as 25 percent. Reports estimate that the tariff was equivalent to around $10 billion [worth] of homebuilding products from China.
Aside from the obvious (more business stays inside the states), there are conversations happening on both sides of the tariffs. On one hand, groups like TCNA are reportedly in full support of the increase. They say that Chinese tile companies have damaged American tile manufacturers by “dump(ing) their tile into the United States at ridiculously low prices.” On the other hand, groups like CTA are against the tariff increase. They even started a petition against it. They say that the increase might seem like a good idea in the short term, but the long-term effects will be harmful to the U.S. ceramics industry. How so? The group reportedly says that relationships and connections with designers and builders from abroad will eventually be lost, resulting in a limited selection of products inside the United States.
Not all beautiful and durable tile products are imported. No, in fact, there are a large number of fantastic tile manufacturers in the United States. We are proud to show you our top five tile product picks that won’t yield the tariff increase! Click on the collage you’re interested in, to learn more about that particular product.
Want to see the whole lineup of made-in-America tile options? Just head to the main navigation bar and tap/click “Made In,” and then tap/click “USA.” We also have a catalog just for products that are tariff-free! Go under our “Catalog” tab in the main navigation. Have questions? We can help! Contact us and let’s talk about your next project. We also have a catalog just for products that are tariff-free! Go under our “Catalog” tab in the main navigation.
