Chinese Carbide Dies may be Hit by Tariffs

It has been a very interesting year in the tool and die trade. Just today the US government responded to recent Chinese tariff threats with a new list of of 1800 items that may have a 25% duty placed on them. Of interest to us, on page 36 of the 45 page document the items at the bottom of this article were  found by our crack team of highly paid researchers.

This sounds like some protection for the tool and die trade, carbide die manufacturers and die makers. Hopefully this will help the sector, but it could lead to higher costs for other manufacturers that use these types of tooling. How do you think this will affect our industry? Is this the next stage in a trade war?

US manufactured Carbide Die

84629940 ........... Machine tools (including nonhydraulic presses) for working metal or metal carbides, nesi, numerically controlled
84629980 ........... Machine tools (including nonhydraulic presses) for working metal or metal carbides, nesi, not numerically controlled
84631000 ........... Draw-benches for bars, tubes, profiles, wire or the like, for working metal or cermets, without removing material
84632000 ........... Thread rolling machines for working metal or cermets, without removing material 84633000 ........... Machines for working wire of metal or cermets, without removing material 84639000 ........... Machine tools for working metal or cermets, without removing material, nesoi 84642001 ........... Grinding or polishing machines for working stone, ceramics, concrete, asbestoscement or like mineral materials, or glass, nesi
84649001 ........... Machine tools for working stone, ceramics, concrete, asbestos-cement or like mineral materials or for cold working glass, nesoi
84651000 ........... Machines for working certain hard materials which can carry out different types of machining operations w/o tool change between operations

(Source: https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/files/Press/Releases/301FRN.pdf)