TARIFFS VS ELECTRONICS

HOW "AMERICAN MADE" NEEDS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING

I’ve had five face-to-face conversations this week about tariffs—and in every single one, I realized something: most people don’t actually understand how tariffs work. So here’s a quick breakdown. This is not a political post. Seriously—I absolutely hate politics. I’d rather eat packing peanuts than argue about politicians. I’m just a business owner sharing real-world facts from the front lines.

I’ve run a company here in the United States for over 17 years. Over that time, I’ve had the privilege of employing a few hundred people—and today, we have a team of just over 40. We build our products right here in the U.S., and we work hard to keep prices low. But lately, I’ve been seeing real tariff charges come across my desk—with my name on them. These aren’t just annoying fees—they’ve actually delayed product releases, made it harder (and sometimes impossible) to even order the parts we need to develop new products, and created constant uncertainty in my business planning. It’s disrupted much of the basic predictability I need to operate a successful American business.

Here’s what most folks don’t realize:

1. Tariffs are a type of tax charged by our U.S. government on goods that are imported into the U.S. from other countries.

2. The idea that “China pays the bill” is an absolute myth. They don’t pay the U.S. anything.

3. American businesses pay the tariff. The U.S. government charges the importer—that means people like me. The ones paying these tariffs are people you know—friends, family, and your favorite companies. It’s small business owners, employers, and creators who are taking the hit.

4. Eventually, you—the customer—pay. Not because companies want to raise prices, but because the numbers eventually stop working.

Also—and this is a big one—you can’t just say “buy American” and assume that solves the problem. Even American-made products almost always use foreign materials. A simple look around your home will reveal that most of the things you own are made up of non-American material. That’s the reality of modern manufacturing.

Imagine telling Alaska to grow palm trees. Or Arizona to harvest pineapples. Or Detroit to start mining diamonds. That’s what it feels like when someone says, “just make your electronic components in the USA.” It sounds simple—until you learn that it’s illogical and completely disconnected from how global manufacturing actually works.

The U.S. doesn’t produce:

• Coffee beans

• Bananas

• Cashmere

• Semiconductors

• And thousands of other essential materials, goods, and parts

I would love to make more of my parts and components right here in Kansas City. But to even begin that process at the most basic level would take years, serious government assistance, tax breaks, and an entirely different approach than tariffs. It’s not about willpower or patriotism—it’s about infrastructure, policy, and reality.

I’m just sharing this because I don’t want people to be blindsided when prices on American-made products go up—or even worse, when their favorite company closes its doors. Companies like mine—and thousands of others—can’t just flip a switch and start manufacturing the parts we need here in America. That is literally (without exaggeration) impossible.

If this was interesting, please share it with a few friends who might find it useful—and most of all, remember to support your favorite brands through this extremely weird time.

Thanks for reading.