NAMM President John Mlynczak continues his fight against Trump’s import tariffs
Last year, President Donald Trump’s new tariffs on imported goods posed a major threat to the guitar industry. Despite the Supreme Court ruling certain tariffs unlawful in February, industry-specific tariffs on steel, aluminium and lumber remain unaffected – meaning the guitar market is still taking the hit of inflated import costs.
NAMM’s President John Mlynczak has been very vocal throughout the ordeal, initially telling Billboard that Trump’s new tariffs would devastate the “deeply interconnected” international supply chain that is necessary to maintain a strong guitar industry. Now, he has spoken out again, delivering an oral testimony in Washington before the United States Trade Representative Section 301 Committee in the Capitol.
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On 8 May, Mlynczak re-iterated the concerns he voiced in 2025. In his testimony, he explained how the US is the “single largest market for music products in the world, $9 billion of the $19.5 billion global music products industry”, yet the tariffs have “weakened the ability for US manufacturers and retailers to compete” with other manufacturers across the globe.
“Tariffs are tilting the playing field against American manufacturers, American retailers, and the American children and families who depend on affordable instruments,” he explains.
If we consider Trump’s “make America great again” ethos, one can see that the tariff comes as a way of putting a focus on American-made goods. However, Mlynczak argues that the tariffs will instead just deter potential buyers from trying to pick up an instrument.
“[These tariffs] will price beginners out of the market, which will hurt the American students, retailers, and manufacturers that depend on today’s students becoming tomorrow’s customers…” he notes. “The American professional instrument market is only as strong as the student market that feeds it.”
He also has the stats to back up this claim, claiming that “entry-level student instruments [have already been] most impacted by tariffs” placed on cheaper imported instruments, noting that imports of wind instruments fell by 27% in 2025, with piano imports also falling 20%.
He goes on to explain that the American market relies on “highly specialised materials and components sourced from all over the world”, echoing his statement last year about how “interconnected” the market is. “These materials are sourced from a long-established and interdependent global supply chain, developed over centuries and rooted in genuine centres of expertise that simply cannot be replicated,” he notes.
“Tariffs have increased the cost of these materials and components which has in turn increased the cost of American manufacturing,” he says. “Competitors abroad are paying less for the exact same materials and components that are not tariffed by their countries.”
He also notes that the US currently sells 44% of global music products, offering unique instruments from Europe, China, Japan and more. If the tariffs spike, there may be less importation of such instruments. Domestically, these instruments will be impossible to replicate due to a lack of generational expertise – therefore the tariffs could lead to there not being enough supply to meet demand.
Alongside Mlynczak’s statement last year, he also teamed up with executives from Fender, Gibson, PRS and other major guitar giants to lobby congress over the imposed tariffs.
And it hasn’t just impacted guitars; last March, Morgan Amps explained how the new tariffs would heavily impact its customers, with the new costs of materials potentially adding over $1,000 to the cost of an an AC20 Deluxe amp.
“Not trying to be political but just did some hard math last night trying to determine how these 25% tariffs will effect my business…” the company wrote on Instagram. “When my parts cost increase by 25%, it increases the [material] cost of an AC20 DELUXE by $300. This $300 in manufacturing costs ends up costing the consumer $1050.”
“Costs have increased across the board for everything – tube prices have basically doubled,” the company adds. “We can’t afford to play these kind of games. It just doesn’t make economic sense. Call or write your senators and congress people and let them know how you feel.”
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
