Breast Pumps and Car Seats
“A product marked as originating in China actually reflects manufactured and other inputs coming from the United States and many other countries. Increasing the costs of these inputs will have a negative impact on U.S. juvenile product manufacturers.”
— Written request to testify from Kelly Mariotti, Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association
Many child-care products — including manual breast pumps, car seats, strollers, play yards, cribs and changing tables — rely on materials from China or are produced in China. Several companies testifying this week say the tariffs will drive up prices, making safety products like car seats too expensive for low-income families.
Down Bedding (and Jackets)
“Feathers in significant quantities will come from China because that is where this byproduct is produced. There are no other countries in the world that have the supply needed to satisfy the demand of the U.S. market. A tariff on feathers from China will cause an increase in cost to the U.S. consumer.”
— Written statement provided to the trade representative by the American Down and Feather Council
In 2017, American companies imported 16.4 million kilos of feathers and down. Most of that came from China, whose population is among the biggest consumers of duck and produces approximately 80 percent of the world’s duck and goose feathers.
Leather Couches
“It seems terribly unfair given the fact that there is no leather upholstery business in the U.S. anymore, none. I would like to think that these are not punitive or just arbitrary, because our category seems to be swept up in this crisis for no explicable reason.”
— Testimony of David Mathison, Leather Miracles
Furniture manufacturers are among the companies that would face tariffs on the materials they import from China, including leather, wood, metal and other components that they rely on for their products. Companies like Leather Miracles, which employs 50 people in North Carolina, say there is no alternate source for the materials they need to continue manufacturing their products and remain in business.
Coffee Makers, Refrigerators and Smoothie Machines
“Imposing additional duties on the subject products would cause disproportionate economic harm to U.S. interests, including small- and medium-size businesses and consumers.”
— Written request to testify on behalf of David Stephenson, SharkNinja
From vacuums to blenders to French door refrigerators, the appliances we use every day often come from China. Many manufacturers say a 25 percent tariff on the components or finished products they import would require them to pass that on to consumers, resulting in higher prices and lost market share to foreign competitors who do not face similar levies.
Alan Rappeport contributed reporting.
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