President Donald Trump's trade war has touched almost every product Trent Austin sells at Austin Custom Brass, just off Front Street in Kansas City, Missouri, from high-end, bespoke trumpets to entry-level horns for students.
“We are a very niche, boutique business,” Austin said. “We sell brass instruments and only brass instruments. That’s trumpets, trombones, euphonium, tubas and the like.”
Austin moved to Kansas City from Boston seven years ago. He gets a few local customers in his showroom, but his business is almost exclusively online. Being based in the middle of the country is an advantage, he said.
“When you're dealing with shipping in the United States, it's quite convenient,” he said. “You can ship something to California in two days, you can ship something into New York in two days, so it's actually really lovely.”
His inventory is an international mix of horns from every corner of the globe.
“We have stuff from pretty much anywhere in the globe: he said. “It's kind of a big melting pot of items available,” he said. “Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Japan, China, and of course the U.S. as well.”
But, since taking office in January, the Trump administration has raised taxes on imports from dozens of countries. It’s been a rough ride for small businesses that import goods from abroad.
“I think the concept of tariff makes complete sense,” Austin said. “The implementation of how this has been doing, I'm not totally sure of.”
Last month, U.S. import tariffs on European goods reached a high of 20% before Trump abruptly called for a 90-day pause, and dialed them back to 10%. Tariffs on instruments made in China, meanwhile, ratcheted up to a high of 145% before settling for now at 30% for the vast majority of products.
“It is quite confusing,” Austin said. “Honestly, to be perfectly blunt, I'm paralyzed.”
‘That creates chaos’
Larry Wigger, a Henry W. Bloch School of Management supply chain economist at University of Missouri-Kansas City said the administration’s objectives with tariffs are still unclear.
“If it's trying to use the bully pulpit to get people to react, then those are short-term negotiation tactics,” Wigger said. “If it's trying to reengineer the global economy and shift the U.S. away from offshore sourcing to try and reindustrialize the U.S., that takes a long term commitment.”
Small business owners like Austin need stability to plan their next move, Wigger said.
“The back and forth, on-again, off-again, quick statements that aren't followed through with lasting policy changes — that doesn't get us to those long-term shifts in how and where we do things,” Wigger said. “That creates chaos.”
“We no longer have trained, skilled workers. We no longer have the supply chain of all the pieces and parts you need to do it. It takes time and we can do that, but it's going to be painful,” he said.
Mike Meyer, co-owner of Meyer Music, specializes in beginners’ instruments for students around the metro. He said he’s been watching manufacturing leave the country for 30 years.
“I've seen them jump from Japan, Indonesia, then Taiwan, then China. And so where do they go next?” he asked.
Meyer said he suspects if tariffs have a long-term impact on the global market, manufacturers will just move on. But he is insulated from tariff pressure, he said — at least in the short term.
“We do a lot of rental business and so people are returning instruments all the time,” Meyer explained. “All those instruments are still good quality instruments, so they're going to last and I can use those again and again.”
“I have, I think, a little bit more breathing room than the average guy that is just selling the trumpet,” he said.
If tariffs continue to raise the prices of new instruments, Meyer might look to the used market while the trade war plays out.
At Austin Custom Brass, Trent Austin is still looking for a path ahead.
“I have 12 employees and I really want to provide them with the best living that they can have,” Austin said. “Now I'm scared about that. Frankly, it kind of sucks.”
