Tariffs Are The Talk of The Town – And The Fishing Industry
- By Toby Lapinski
- March 7, 2025
A look at the soon-to-be-implemented tariffs and their potential effect on the fishing industry from those on the inside.
On February 18, 2025, the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) provided an update on two recently signed Executive Orders and their impacts on the fishing industry. As the ASA is the sportfishing industry’s leading trade association, this news caused a stir both by those who were already familiar with the ramifications of the Executive Orders as well as those who were caught off guard by the news.
We here at Fishing Tackle Retailer almost immediately began fielding inquiries from across the fishing industry. The concern was primarily related to the news that fishing reels would be subject to a 25% tariff and would have a major negative impact on sales as we enter the beginning of another open water fishing season. While our interpretation of the ramifications proved helpful, it quickly became apparent that more information was needed. To that end, we decided to reach out to several key members of the fishing industry for their position on the subject and how they were preparing to handle it. Some were eager to provide their take on the situation, recognizing that this is going to be a hot subject in the coming weeks, while others were not quite prepared to comment at this time due to the ever-changing nature of the subject.
Mike Leonard – VP Government Affairs, American Sportfishing Association
Over the past week, the Trump Administration has taken several actions related to trade that will impact the sportfishing industry. These include new tariffs on critical components used in the manufacturing of sportfishing tackle and accessories.
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 will come into effect on March 4, 2025. He also stated that the 10% additional tariff on Chinese imports that went into effect on February 4 would be increased to 20% on March 4, 2025.
Separately, on March 2, President Trump issued two Executive Orders suspending the elimination of Section 321 de minimis entry for goods of Canadian and Mexican origin. De minimis entry will remain available for products of both nations until Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick notifies the President that “adequate” systems are in place to “expeditiously” process entries and collect applicable tariff revenue. This follows a similar modification to the de minimis prohibition contained in the February 1 Executive Order that imposed additional tariffs on China.
De minimis entry exempts products with an aggregate fair retail value of less than $800 from taxes and duties. In the case of sportfishing equipment, excise taxes and import duties would be deposited into the Sport Fish Restoration Fund, which grants the money back to states and territories for fisheries conservation.
Regarding previously announced tariffs on aluminum products, including fishing reels, reel accessories and landing nets, the regulation to implement these tariffs is scheduled to be published on March 5. The unpublished version is available to view here. The order now covers imports from all countries equally, including Canada and Mexico. View ASA’s policy alert for more information on the aluminum tariff announcement.
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