price of steel


With the introduction of tariffs on steel, hence now that the price of steel is about to go up. Will that translate into a higher price for audio gear in general?
mudbone
Not really, or not directly. There is very little steel or aluminium in any audio component, and most steel is cheap. Moreover, much audio gear is not manufacturerd in the US. Indirectly there may be a tiny effect: cars etc will get more expensive, and hence consumers’ wages may have to go up a bit, and so forth. Much will depend on what happens next. One possibility is if the US decides to widen the range of tariffs to include e.g. audio gear made in China.
And then there is the possibility of retaliation. The EU will certainly not take any of this sitting down, and I am sure the same is true for e.g. China. The EU has announced it may retaliate with a tariff on e.g. US motor cycles. So your Harley may get cheaper for a while because the export market is diminished, but if you work for Harley Davidson or one of its suppliers, you may lose your job. On balance, experts agree this is bad news for the US economy and US consumers, unless you work in the steel or aluminium industry.
Thank you willemj! President Trump gets a D for his lack of basic economic knowledge! Barriers to trade are always harmful, regardless of which side of the fence you are on!
Let's hope this does not get out of hand, because there will only be losers.
Trump's approach is interesting - it would appear he believes the US is the largest market (if not the only market) for steel and aluminum.

The press up here reported the price of beer would go up because of the alumunum cans - OK we're not perfect either

But what happens if all the supplying nations start to peddle their goods to emerging economies?

Could the "well" dry up?

Could the US be left out in the cold?

Perhaps trump will entice them back by offering "incentives", but I susmect he will just bully them back to the bargaining table.

He has already started back peddling WRT certain countries (Mexico and Canada.

He sure is an interesting President

Glad I'm in Canada :-)

At least our PM takes great selfies (LOL)

Regards - Steve