Unfortunately, the representatives are more afraid of the president than they are of their constituents. Your words fall on deaf ears.
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Maybe when FedEx and UPS start asking us to pay tariffs we can have them send the bill to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuitā¦ 
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As with everything else, wait for the Court with sour cream to decide.
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Save your receipts for your future refund 
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Granted I havenāt followed every bike in the Specialized line-up but they just raised prices again (second time in 6-ish months) on the Tarmac and the Epic. Looks to be a 5%-10% increase. That follows earlier in the year when they rolled the ātariffā increase into their price (rather than a separate line item).
When a restaurant is in trouble, they either need to cut costs or raise prices. This in turn loses customers which they then have toā¦ raise prices and cut costs. The cycle continues until ultimately there are no more customers left. Canāt help but feel this is happening in the bike industry. Prices keep going up but at what point is it going to be too much and pushes customers away? Are we already there?
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I know that itās the sort of thing said every time prices rise, but I donāt see the death of the industry, but a change. The big two drivetrain manufacturers are no longer the only option, with a range of new brands, including electronic options. Same goes for frames/wheels and other bits.
They are hampered by a lack of European/US support, but this isnāt likely to last IMO. I know Iād love to trial them, but currently put off by the lack of support. However, if prices rise further, then maybe the next MTB frame comes from a Podium Panda-esque store that provides localised purchasing/support/warranty.
The best way for a business to work itās way out of financial challenges is often sales growth. Easier said than done, but thatās almost always the best long term path. Crappy margins start looking pretty good if you sell enough units. You donāt have to reduce prices to sell more, often it requires significant investment to drive long term sales growth. But yeah, there are lots of businesses that attempt to keep the lights on by increasing prices and/or cutting costs. Those things can sometimes stop the bleeding for a brief period, but itās usually a sign that they are out of other ideas or they canāt get the funds required to invest in or reinvent the business. The bike industry will probably get reimagined over time, it just seems too broken and itās a big enough market that someone will step in and disrupt it.
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I donāt think the industry is in that much trouble. I see people buying tons of stuff whenever I go to a store. Bikes seem to have been more of a recreational item in the USA. E-bikes have kinda changed that, as I see more people commuting and running errands on them. Sales of those things are up. Raising prices is not always a sign of trouble. Just as lowering them is not a sign of trouble.
I noticed chicken in my local grocery store went up 17% just this month. Itās still selling. Inflation is here , no matter what the government statistics show.
I see UPS, FED EX, and Amazon drive down my road everyday. There is still a lot of money in the middle class, at least in the USA. For how much longer thatās a hard question.
Higher bike prices may affect sales. Time will tell.
For now we can all hope the tariff tantrum will go away soon so the world can get back on track.
Lengthy post . Plantar fasciitis so I canāt ride much.
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āThe middle classā
Yes, which is shrinking. The people making good, middle class money are buying more stuff, because they can. The lower class is buying more cheap crap, because that is their only option.
Just because you are seeing a Amazon truck doesnāt mean it is a new TV being delivered. My girlfriend uses it for school supplies (teacher), because she canāt afford it anywhere else.
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Food is a necessity, bikes (especially flight attendant equipped ones) are not. Luxury retail is showing signs of weakening. Iām guessing many of us are thinking twice before paying for yet another price increase.
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Anybody successfully not have to pay a duty tax? I ordered some parts from Merlin cycles, less than $800, and UPS just sent me a bill for 20% duties before theyāll deliver. I thought the de minimis was back on until the appeal was ruled on.
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So far, me. I took receipt of a imported dining room table this week $1200 via FedEx; I didnāt get a tariff bill, but it may be coming.
Iām glad that my ride is a titanium road bike, five years old. Iām also my own mechanic, so as my LBS keeps less inventory than ever, I can keep my bike(s) on the road with the shelf stock in my basement. I also donāt discard my upgraded parts. Sooner or later, I expect cycling parts āswap meetsā to come back into fashion.
Again, the most frustrating part of all of this apart from paying extra, is the complete and utter chaos and disorganization. Some packages get through, some donāt. The Merlin package so far has been the only one where Iāve received a bill. AliExpress packages with Chinese parts, nothing. R2 Bike order of Darimo seatpost and Extralite parts, nothing. Direct from China carbon wheels (over $800), zilch. I have no idea if a package is going to get caught and receive a tariff. It makes zero sense.
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When I got concerned about my shipment, I contacted the seller. He was able to find out that UPS was holding everything in Customs, for lack of guidance on the policy; they ran out out of space and wouldnāt even pick up the shipment, so it was canceled and (successfully) shipped via FedEx.
āI have concepts of a planā
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Even that turned out to be a lie.
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I got a UPS order from Ekoi about a week ago with no extra fee/tax. It was held in customs for about a week though. I did reach out to UPS to see what was going on and that same day it cleared customs. I never did get an explanation as to why but the above makes sense.
Just fyi, there is a such thing as DDP shipping (Delivered Duty Paid) where there shouldnāt be additional cost to you after you receive the items. Not saying that explains all the discrepancies but I believe a lot of seller on Aliexpress uses that and the metal 3D prints from China Iām getting is also using that. So might be worth asking what kind of shipping they are going to use and how the items are declared.
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Elite Wheels uses DDP as well. Recently purchased the new Drive 50D II and didnāt have any additional cost from duties.
Any updates on tariffs hitting import goods from Europe?
Is the de minimis applying?
I know nothing is a known but your experiences would be very much appreciated. Iād like to order some tires and stuff.