If you have been following the latest US tariff updates, you may be wondering if your personal lifestyle will be affected by the increase in tariffs. One way the tariffs may punish your wallet is through your golf cart. Thousands of golf cart parts and accessories are manufactured in China and imported to large suppliers here in the United States. The US suppliers then partner with dealers, like WHEELZ Custom Carts, so that we can provide you with the products you love.
Recently, my US suppliers have notified us and all golf cart parts dealers across the country that golf cart related products are included in the new tariff increases. The complete list of products originally qualifying for the new tariffs includes 5,745 items and that list was released on July 10, 2018. Following the release, a six day public hearing resulting in 297 products being removed from the original list. The additional tariffs went into effect on September 24, 2018 and are in the amount of 10 percent. On January 1, 2019, those tariffs will increase to 25 percent.
Detailed information about the tariffs can be found on the Office of the United States Trade Representative website.
Here is a partial list of golf car related Chinese products that are affected by the tariffs:
The complete list of affected parts is extensive. Although there are a handful of golf cart parts manufacturers in the US, several parts, specifically hard parts, are simply not yet manufactured in the US at this time and will experience a steep price increase as the result of the tariffs.
The future is a bit uncertain at the moment. What we know for sure is that prices on virtually every Chinese manufactured golf car part are increasing by 25 percent. Some suppliers and dealers, like WHEELZ, have absorbed some of the cost to mitigate the impact on our customers. Some suppliers are increasing dealer prices effective immediately to reflect the total tariff increase.
As the situation unfolds, here are the options that golf cart dealers face:
Golf carts are an important part of American culture. Camping, golfing, interacting with neighbors- these are the activities involving golf carts that we love the most. Golf carts are our recreational escape and we are committed to work hard to make sure that middle class families are not priced out of the golf cart ownership and customization experience.
I am confident that we can agree that partnering with US manufacturers is a great idea and something that WHEELZ has been supporting for several years. WHEELZ is a proud supplier of a large list of MADE IN USA parts and accessories. However, not all of the golf cart parts listed on the new tariff list are currently manufactured in the US. We must either stop selling all Chinese golf cart products or we continue to sell those parts that are not manufactured in the US and increase prices.
I have had hundreds of conversations with WHEELZ customers over the past decade about the importance of supporting American golf cart parts manufacturers. Most of the conversations end the same way- customers are unwilling to pay more for a US product so they purchase the less expensive Chinese product. The new US tariffs are leveling the playing field for American manufacturers whose products are more expensive than Chinese products, however, it will be at the expense of American consumers.
The team at WHEELZ is doing our very best to soften the blow of the price increases caused by the tariffs. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions. We have battled many storms over the past ten years of serving our customers and we plan to be here for many more years.
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