Tariffs and Astronomy Equipment

At the June 6, 2019 AAA Astrophotography Meet Up meet up, Alfredo Viegas summarized the effect tariffs on Chinese goods will have on astronomy and photography equipment. Here is what he said:

“If approved it goes through on June 24th.  The tariff rate is up to 30%.  Although it could be less. Included in the list of products are all major astronomy gear like eyepieces, telescopes, cameras and mounts. The majority of the manufacturers are all in China. Moreover, even USA based companies like Televue or Astro-Physics likely buy raw materials or some finished products from China that will also be subject to Tariffs. (China is a major manufacturer of glass for lenses and eyepieces)

“How to play it. My thinking is prices will go higher obviously if tariffs are declared. Although I believe that most dealers will not immediately raise prices on June 25th… rather it’s not until they are out of stock and need to replenish that they will be forced to raise prices.  So my advice is watch the news. If we get the declaration of tariffs then be ready to buy whatever you need or want right after the 24th before prices go up.  Also I am also sure if we get higher retail prices then used gear prices will also increase. So if you are thinking of selling any used gear, wait till August or September and you will be able to get higher prices.”

Here is the official document listing all the products: https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/enforcement/301Investigations/84_FR_22564.pdf

Check out the latest presentations at the meet up from the group the on the AAA Astrophotography YouTube channel: Gowrishankar L shows the January 2019 total lunar eclipse with some amazing infographics and details on his techniques. Stan Honda shows the wide diversity of Haleakala National Park from 10,023 feet to sea level. There is also a tutorial on fixing vertical lines in architectural photos.

Stan’s June 6th Meetup Talk:

https://youtu.be/w4w9Iuqto4U

Gowri’s June 6th Meetup Talk:

https://youtu.be/QAMUdNZ2bss

How to fix Vertical Lines in Architectures:

https://youtu.be/c9P6W01L_4A