2018年CRI US boat manufacturers feel the pain of tariffs

 

US boat manufacturers are facing higher prices for raw materials and parts because of tariffs¹ implemented² by the Trump³ administration. The National Marine⁴ Manufacturers Association has called the tariffs a "disaster" for America's recreational boating industry, which is valued at 39 billion US dollars.

Chad Kovarik owns Action Craft Boats which makes recreational boats in Cape⁵ Coral in Florida. At one of his two boat manufacturing facilities in the state, he points out  that all the parts on his boats are made from aluminum⁶ and steel. 

"It's powder coated, but underneath⁷ it's aluminum, and this aluminum comes from Canada," he said, pointing to a section of roof. "All the hardware and engines are made of stainless⁸ steel. [It] comes from China, of course. The rod holders⁹ are made in aluminum. We have over 500 nuts and bolts and screws on every boat. You can't even buy them in the United States. They've got to come from China."

He said he's seen prices on some of the parts he buys increase by up to 12 percent. "The tariffs on aluminum and steel have an actual impact on us. It causes some of our prices to go up and our customers don't necessarily want to pay that extra for those prices. But I don't think we have a choice," he said.

The US has imposed tariffs on billions of dollars of other Chinese imports, including boat motors, engine parts and navigational equipment.

Sean Snaith, director of the Institute for Economic Competitiveness at the University of Central Florida, said the boat manufacturing industry is one of several facing rough waters because of tariffs.

"Some companies will just have to eat the higher cost and, of course, that will come out of the bottom line," he said. "Those companies that are using imported products subjected to tariffs will have to reevaluate whether they're going to continue using the same suppliers."

Kovarik predicted if tariffs remain in place over the long-term, it will become much more challenging for boat manufacturers to stay afloat.

1 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

2 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

3 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

4 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

5 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

6 aluminum   

n.(aluminium)铝

参考例句：

• The aluminum sheets cannot be too much thicker than 0.04 inches.铝板厚度不能超过0.04英寸。
• During the launch phase,it would ride in a protective aluminum shell.在发射阶段，它盛在一只保护的铝壳里。

7 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

8 stainless   

adj.无瑕疵的，不锈的

参考例句：

• I have a set of stainless knives and forks.我有一套不锈钢刀叉。
• Before the recent political scandal,her reputation had been stainless.在最近的政治丑闻之前，她的名声是无懈可击的。

9 holders   

支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物

参考例句：

• Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
• It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。