Manufacturers of cleaning materials and equipment are among the third batch of industries hard hit by the aftermath of the US-China Trade War. Where before, components imported from China by US manufacturers of cleaning implements were subject to a 10% tariff, the Chinese government has upped the importation duties on all US-bound exports to 25%.
Sad to say that the raised tariffs will hit not only those importing Chinese components in manufacturing products. Increased cost of importation will then be passed on to business sectors that purchase or acquire US assembled apparatuses using Chinese materials and components.
The latter will then try to recover the extra cost by upping retail prices that ordinary consumers and business patrons pay, in buying or using services that make use of US assembled Chinese implements.
Examples of Specific Cleaning Items Imported from China
Specifically, such items include:
Sanitary Paper Products, Cleaning Product Formulations and Sprayers – These are basic household commodities also widely used by hotels and other hospitality businesses, restaurants, malls, theaters, hospitals and janitorial service providers, just to name a few.
Vacuum cleaners and related parts; Components for ordinary cleaning implements such as brooms, brushes, mop applicators and buckets, refuse bins and janitorial carts. Needless to say, households and patrons of the above-mentioned businesses will feel the final brunt once the additional importation cost has been passed on to them.
One thing that will complicate matters is the looming massive loss of jobs that will transpire. After feeling the effects of the the 2018 Trump Tariffs and the resulting Retaliatory Import Tariffs imposed not only by China, but also by EU countries, major industries have been constrained to cut down on operational costs, which include manpower costs. Increased prices and diminishing buying power are factors that will likely pull the US economy down.
In fact, cleaning industry players, who were the first batch to feel the impact of the 2018 Trump Import Tariffs had already announced forthcoming increases to their foreign buyers. That is without anticipating that EU countries and China will retaliate by respectively imposing 50% and 25% duties on goods imported from the U.S. Naturally, this made US vacuum cleaners and similar electronic cleaning apparatuses less price competitive.
Our advice to household users is to make sure that they buy only US assembled vacuum cleaners or electric sweepers that are free from defects, comes with a warranty and have a complete well-written guide on how to use and maintain proper upkeep of their electronic cleaners. That way, they will not fall victims to unscrupulous sellers of fake or China-made apparatuses.
