The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) has issued a statement regarding the current state of a host of new tariffs being implemented on imported goods and materials from several countries into the U.S. that will affect the fishing industry.
“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,” says the March 3 ASA statement, written by Mike Leonard, the organization’s vice president of government affairs.
The statement goes on to say President Donald Trump recently announced that the tariffs originally set to go into effect on Feb. 1, before they were delayed, would now go into effect today, March 4, including 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico. The announcement also said the 10% tariff on Chinese imports that went into effect on Feb. 4 would be increased to 20% on March 4.
“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,” the statement continues.
“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 Feb. 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.”
Aluminum Tariffs
The statement goes on to say that the regulation regarding tariffs on aluminum products, including fishing reels, reel accessories, and landing nets is scheduled to be published on March 5. According to the unpublished version, the order covers imports from all countries equally, including Canada and Mexico.
“ASA continues to monitor these rapidly changing trade policies and inform our members of how they may be affected,” the statement says.
