Tariff Uncertainty Continues to Roil Ski Industry Supply Chains

The extremely unpredictable nature (15% today, 145% tomorrow, back to 35% the next week) of these tariffs has made it extremely difficult for even domestic brands to keep product on the shelf. Products made overseas need to make it to the U.S. via container freight, and aren't subject to a tariff until physically imported at a port of entry. Suppliers have been forced to hold finished products or materials in "limbo" outside the port until news of a tariff reduction comes through. This creates delays, that compound into a ripple effect that is felt further down the line as things stack up and get stuck (kind of like what happened during worldwide supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic).

In an article published in outdoor industry trade magazine RetailTouchPoints, G10 Fulfillment CEO Mark Becker says, "Containers aren’t coming over the ocean, our warehouses aren’t receiving any product, and then all of a sudden the tariffs go down, and now there’s a flood of product—to the point that a lot of our manufacturers are over-buying now as a kind of defensive move against the tariffs. They’re saying, 'Okay, they’re down at 35%. Let’s get as much product over as we can now because we’re still uncertain of what will happen in the next 60 to 90 days.' That just creates chaos.”

Hearing that, my mind naturally goes to the world of product manufacturing and how the never-ending saga of Trump tariffs affects how things like skis, boots, apparel, and even things like ski lifts and gondolas are made. Ski brands in particular have been hit very hard because of how their particular supply chains work, and because of the actual timing of the current tariffs—hitting right as products are on their way to the U.S. for the upcoming winter season. 

I hate to say it, but the U.S. does not have sound infrastructure in place for large-scale ski manufacturing, and it's likely not going to happen anytime soon. Skis are made of a ton of different materials and components, and most of those come from overseas. There simply aren't many commercially viable locally-available options for materials like metal edges, ski cores, or even base material, meaning manufacturers can't just switch suppliers overnight to avoid tariffs. The long lead time for the development of a ski model compounds this even further, and switching materials mid-production run isn't really an option. A 2025 outdoor industry benchmarking survey reported that nearly 70% of businesses surveyed make products in China.

In fact, the famously eco-conscious WNDR skis actually moved production out of the US to Dubai of all places for sustainability reasons a few years ago. The move reduced the complexity of their manufacturing supply chain, and the brand claimed they could produce higher-quality skis this way with a lower carbon footprint and at a lower cost. This was not necessarily a tariff-related move, but it stands as a stark example as to how internationalized the ski industry actually has become.

Some other US-based ski brands have moved manufacturing locations to reduce their tariff liability, to established factories in Europe.

On the softgoods and apparel front, manufacturers have resorted to other measures to combat tariff-related cost increases. Earlier this summer, Idaho-based women's apparel brand Wild Rye announced a public crowdfunding investment campaign to raise $1.4M in capital to help keep the company solvent.

Outside of ski equipment, another area of concern is the fact that most ski lifts, gondolas, and trams come from European companies, most based in Switzerland, Austria, or Germany. While still not settled, proposed EU tariffs on manufactured goods look to be around 20%, meaning that any maintenance parts and new construction at your local ski hill will be subject to this (and likely similar delays to ski gear). Will that mean fewer chairlifts running this winter? Likely. Many ski resorts are already struggling for cash, and spending extra to get another chair running might be a stretch.

So how does this affect skiers looking for new gear? It's tough to quantify. Lucky for consumers, product price increases haven't exactly mirrored tariff increases tit-for-tat, but prices have surely gone up. Black Diamond Equipment announced a store-wide 10-25 percent price increase in May. Other retailers have reported raising prices at similar levels.

All that was in response to the unprecedented uncertainty. Manufacturers, markets, and investors just don't like uncertainty. Neither do we, especially not when it makes skiing more expensive than it already is.