John Mlynczak, President and CEO of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) has issued a statement condemning the universal tariffs that have been imposed by President Trump. It reads in full as follows:

The reciprocal tariffs announced in President Trump’s April 2 Executive Order will have serious and devastating consequences for the music products industry, which is already facing challenges from the previous tariffs imposed on products imported from China, Canada, and Mexico, as well as the additional tariffs on imported materials.  

We believe that the imposition of these tariffs on the music products industry will cause U.S. businesses that manufacture guitars, pianos, violins, mandolins, woodwind and percussion instruments, electronic components and accessories to lose their global competitive advantage in producing high-quality, iconic musical instruments at both the professional and entry levels.  

The unique supply chains of the music products industry are also unfairly impacted by these tariffs. For example, while the share of all U.S. imports from China is 13.4%, the music products industry’s China imports are 43%. Vietnam is 4.2% overall, while the music products industry is 26%.  

We continue to urge the administration to exempt musical instruments and accessories, along with materials used to manufacture musical products, from these measures. The negative effects threaten the economic and cultural impact of U.S.-made musical instruments and accessories.  

Exemption from these tariffs for the music products industry will help safeguard the globally recognized American manufacturers of iconic musical products while sustaining competitiveness of our interdependent global industry without undermining the broader objectives of U.S. trade policy. 

NAMM also stands strongly with the following organizations and their statements: 

Statement: Consumer Technology Association   

Statement: National Retail Federation  

Statement: National Association of Manufacturers  

NAMM website: www.namm.org

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