Tariffs will hurt makers and encourage offshoring.

There was a time when my job depended on my skill wielding a soldering iron and diagnosing computer hardware failures. I haven’t done that in ‘a while’ but I do still build electronic circuits now-and-then.
 
I occasionally build prototype devices for a client and when I do the vast majority of the parts come from China.
 
The new tariffs proposed by the current administration will increase my costs by 25% on this parts. However, these new tariffs do not apply to finished consumer goods, like TVs, cell phones, and the gadgets I’m likely to be building. So I have two choices; pass along the increased cost of components to my clients, or, pay a company in China to build the gadget for me and import it as a ‘finished good’. Neither of these are good outcomes for the US Economy.
 
I’ve linked an article below from a well known ‘maker’. He presents the case in greater detail and also includes info. on what you can do to influence these new tariffs.
 

Noelle Scaggs of Fitz and The Trantrums – 2018 Lowell Summer Music Series


2018 photo100 – #37

I have loads of images from this high-energy show! One hint… confettii. 😉 More to come…

You can see all the images in the 2018 Photo100 project here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/streamingmeemee/albums/72157662177136077