PPB May 2018

feed back Send feedback on articles in PPB or opinions on industry issues to JamesK@ppai.org . Tariffs Raise Discussion On Fair Competition, Economic Impact Tariffs onmaterials and products coming into the U.S. fromChina could have a significant effect on the promotional products industry and the companies within it. At press time, the debate over the tariffs’ value and effectiveness continues, with industry professionals sharing their perspectives. Every increase in the price of goods affects every consumer, and the possible 20:1 impact of lost jobs will affect every business, as that lost buying power decreases demand for all goods and services. More than likely, the increased profits to American aluminum and steel manufacturers will be spent on buying new tax-deductible automation equipment, rather than on producing new jobs for American workers. KEITH MCKENZIE Sales HALO Branded Solutions Littleton, Colorado PPAI 106462 While free trade is a good thing, a level and fair playing field is also important. My company, supplier MAC Specialties, has been in business for 29 years. We were the first company in the industry to producemolded urethane foam balls, commonly referred to as stress balls, in the United States. We currently manufacture our foamballs inMexico, but they’re still made from100 percent U.S. component, non-hazardous, raw materials. Chinese factories sell finished balls for prices that are comparable to just the cost of U.S.-made rawmaterials, using urethane chemistry that is classified as a hazardous material in its raw form, although not in its final form. It’s far from fair and level when they benefit fromgovernment subsidies and cheaper, hazardous rawmaterials, and we have to deal with ongoing issues with intellectual copyrights and patent violations. We manufacture 90 percent of our product line in the U.S. Customers say they prefer U.S.-made products, but the truth is that price is almost always the major and final determining factor. MARK COHEN President MAC Specialties Oceanside, New York PPAI 112420 8 | MAY 2018 |