Overview of the Issue
Correcting imbalances in international trade, including through the use of tariffs, was a major campaign promise from President Trump. The Administration has wasted little time moving ahead on this promise. As negotiations between the U.S. and our trade partners are ongoing, we’re receiving new information almost every day on changes to trade policies.
According to a 2019 study conducted by ASA, roughly 60% of fishing equipment is imported into the United States, and two-thirds of these imports come from China. New tariffs place a disproportionate burden on the sportfishing industry, which pays a 10% excise tax on fishing equipment that contributes to conservation and public access efforts carried out through the Sport Fish Restoration Fund.
To date, the actions most impactful to the sportfishing industry are tariffs on products from China, Canada and Mexico, and tariffs on the aluminum content of fishing reels, reel parts and landing nets. These, and other trade actions, are implemented through a variety of authorities and a variety of reasons, including fentanyl trafficking, illegal immigration and to rectify trade imbalances. In many cases, whether and how these tariffs will be implemented remains up in the air.
Breakdown of major actions:
- Citing failures to adequately address fentanyl shipments, President Donald Trump announced that the February 1 previously announced, and subsequently delayed, 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico would come into effect on March 4, 2025. In addition, de minimis eligibility will be rescinded on products coming from Canada and Mexico “upon notification by the Secretary of Commerce to the President that adequate systems are in place to fully and expeditiously process and collect tariff revenue.”
- The 10% additional tariff on Chinese imports that went into effect on February 4 was increased to 20% on March 4. The President also announced that de minimis would be rescinded for Chinese products, similar to Canada and Mexico, however implementation is on pause until adequate systems are in place to enforce it.
- On February 10, the President announced that beginning March 12 he would raise the current 10% tariff rate on aluminum to 25% and eliminate all country exemptions. Fishing reels, reel accessories and landing nets are among the 100+ HTS codes impacted. The tariffs apply specifically to the aluminum content, not the whole product.
- On March 7, US Customs & Border Protection released implementation guidance for 25% tariffs on aluminum derivative products. Most notably, the new tariffs will not go into effect on fishing reels, reel parts or landing nets on March 12, but rather “on or after a date to be certified in the Federal Register by the Secretary of Commerce.” The guidance also provides instructions to impacted importers on what – and in what order – information needs to be provided on Customs entry documents to ensure the 25% is not applied to the full value of the product. It also creates the HTS code to use, which is 9903.85.08.
- President Trump has also directed Administration officials to develop reciprocal tariffs. On February 13, Trump signed a presidential memorandum to direct the U.S. Trade Representative and the Secretary of Commerce to develop country-by-country reciprocal tariffs to “rebalance” U.S. trade relationships by April 1. The fact sheet is available here. The announced tariffs will likely target countries with the largest trade deficit with the United States, including China, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and EU countries.
What ASA is Doing
At this time, there is no legislative or regulatory process to seek exclusions from any of these tariffs. Negotiations that impact countries are either underway or expected to begin soon. Additional tariff action and reciprocal tariff announcements are also expected in the months ahead.
The sportfishing industry contributes more than $230 billion to the U.S. economy and billions of dollars to conservation each year. Our industry supports over 1.1 million jobs nationwide and more than 1-in-6 Americans fishing each year. We continue to explore opportunities to share the economic and cultural value of recreational fishing with the administration and Congress and promise to keep you informed on the latest developments.
If you have any questions, please contact VP of Government Affairs, Mike Leonard.
What you can do
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