New Trump reciprocal tariffs could affect prices of already expensive hockey gear

Apr 1

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Craig Nigrelli Reporter

By Craig Nigrelli (Reporter), Kaleb Gillespie (Video Editor), Shea Taylor (Producer)

President Donald Trump is calling Wednesday “Liberation Day” when it comes to imposing reciprocal tariffs on countries that do business with the United States. He says he intends to match the levies that other countries charge the U.S.
One industry that does a lot of cross-border trade in supplies and goods is hockey equipment.
A store owner in Ontario says about 40% of his business comes from Americans. He says many teams and organizations that buy in bulk are reluctant to place orders because they do not know the specific cost.

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President Donald Trump is calling Wednesday, April 2, Liberation Day. It’s a day when the president plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on nearly all of America’s trading partners to match the levies that other countries charge on American products.

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One industry that is watching closely is the hockey community. Many American hockey players, at all levels, get their gear from across the border in Canada and have for decades.

How might the impending tariffs affect cross-border business?

Graeme Rouston, the owner of Rouston Hockey in Brantford, Ontario, sells more than 100,000 hockey sticks a year in the United States.

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Rouston said teams or organizations placing bulk orders for name-brand sticks, such as Christian and Northland, are hesitant due to the impending tariffs.

He told The Associated Press that some of his customers postponed large purchases because they did not know the specific price in advance. He estimates that 40% of his overall business comes from the United States.

How much does hockey equipment typically cost?

In hockey, players wear lots of gear such as skates, pants known as breezers, shin pads, elbow pads, shoulder pads and chest protectors. It is notoriously expensive. The cost of such protective gear can reach more than $1,000 per player.

The AP reports that hockey equipment is a growing industry worth $1.3 billion in North America alone. It’s not just Canada. Mexico has a factory where they make the popular Warrior brand hockey stick.

What about countries other than Canada and Mexico?

Mark Pane, the former equipment manager for the University of Nebraska-Omaha Division I hockey team, told Straight Arrow News that these tariffs will impact the hockey community.

“It’s going to affect the hockey world, including skates such as Bauer. Some custom skates are made in China and some equipment is made in Japan. It will be interesting to see the pricing,” Pane said.

The CEO of the Sports and Fitness Industry Association says the general feeling about the impending tariffs is uneasiness and confusion.

Tags: Canada, Donald Trump, Inflation, Sports, Tariff

[Craig Nigrelli]

PRESIDENT TRUMP IS CALLING THIS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, LIBERATION DAY. IT’S A DAY WHEN THE PRESIDENT WILL IMPOSE RECIPROCAL TARIFFS ON NEARLY ALL OF AMERICA’S TRADING PARTNERS, TO MATCH THE LEVIES THAT OTHER COUNTRIES CHARGE ON AMERICAN PRODUCTS.
ONE INDUSTRY WATCHING CLOSELY : IS THE HOCKEY COMMUNITY. MANY AMERICAN HOCKEY PLAYERS, AT ALL LEVELS, GET THEIR GEAR FROM ACROSS THE BORDER IN CANADA, AND HAVE FOR DECADES.
GRAEME ROUSTAN OWNS ROUSTAN HOCKEY IN BRANTFORD ONTARIO. HE SELLS MORE THAN 100,000 HOCKEY STICKS A YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES.
HE SAID TEAMS OR ORGANIZATIONS PLACING BULK ORDERS FOR NAME BRAND STICKS, SUCH AS CHRISTIAN AND NORTHLAND, ARE HESTITANT, DUE TO THE IMPENDING TARIFFS.
ROUSTAN TOLD THE A-P, QUOTE “ THESE CUSTOMERS WANT TO KNOW WHEN THEIR ORDERS SHIP, WILL THEY HAVE TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL 25%. AND WE RESPOND BY SAYING, WELL RIGHT NOW WE DON’T KNOW, SO THEY POSTPONE THEIR ORDER OR CANCEL THEIR ORDER BECAUSE THEY WANT TO KNOW, BEFORE THEY ORDER, WHAT THE COST IS GOING TO BE. “ EQUOTE. OVERALL, ABOUT 40% OF ROUSTAN’S BUSINESS IS WITH AMERICAN CUSTOMERS.
IN HOCKEY, PLAYERS WEAR LOTS OF GEAR, SUCH AS SKATES, PANTS KNOWN AS BREEZERS, SHIN PADS, ELBOW PADS AND CHEST PROTECTORS. IT IS NORTORIOUSLY EXPENSIVE. THE COST OF SUCH GEAR CAN BE MORE THAN $1000-DOLLARS PER PLAYERS.
THE A-P REPORTS THAT IN NORTH AMERICA ALONE, HOCKEY EQUIPMENT IS A $1.3 BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY AND GROWING. AND IT’S NOT JUST CANADA. MEXICO HAS A FACTORY WHERE THEY MAKE THE POPULAR WARRIOR BRAND HOCKEY STICKS.
THE FORMER EQUIPMENT MANAGER FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-OMAHA DIVISION 1 HOCKEY TEAM, MARK PANE,TOLD STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS QUOTE “ ITS GOING TO AFFECT THE HOCKEY WORLD, INCLUDING SKATES SUCH AS BAUER. SOME CUSTOM SKATES ARE MADE IN CHINA AND SOME EQUIPMENT IS MADE IN JAPAN. IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE THE PRICING. “
THE CEO OF THE SPORTS AND FITNESS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION SAYS THE GENERAL FEELING ABOUT THE IMPENDING TARIFFS IS UNEASINESS AND CONFUSION.
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