Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held a virtual press conference on the impact President Trump’s haphazard tariffs on China will have on the availability and cost of essential baby products, including strollers, car seats, and cribs.
Over the past weeks, the Trump administration has raised tariffs on Chinese goods imported to the United States by 145 percent and shipments of goods into the U.S. have plunged. China produces the overwhelming majority of strollers and car seats and is a major supplier of other baby essentials. Skyrocketing prices will force families to spend more or rely on older or pre-owned products that do not meet the most up-to-date safety standards.
“American families will pay the price for President Trump’s chaotic and reckless tariff policies,” said Senator Gillibrand. “His 145% tariff on China is halting imports of basic necessities for new parents and babies and forcing companies to raise prices to compensate. The costs of raising a child are already astronomical, and the president should be finding ways to lower those costs, not raise them even further. President Trump must exempt all baby safety essentials from tariffs immediately.”
According to the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, over 70% of baby essentials sold in the United States are made in China. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, China’s share of imports include 98% of car seats; 97% of strollers; 94% of beds, bassinets, and play pens; 92% of highchairs; 89% of baby care appliances including sterilizers and bottle warmers; and 46% of cribs. President Trump himself exempted certain baby safety products from tariffs he imposed during his first term.
The full text of Senator Gillibrand’s letter to Trump administration officials is available here or below:
Dear Ambassador Greer,
I write to express my deep concerns around the financial impact this administration’s exorbitant tariffs will have on our children and families. In a child’s first year, parents will spend on average 31 percent of their income on child-related costs, or $20,384.1 The administration’s 145 percent tariff on Chinese imports will cause this percentage to skyrocket and result in higher costs for new and expecting parents. It is imperative that you exempt child-related goods from these reckless tariffs to ensure that American families do not face additional unnecessary costs to care for their newborn or infant.
Parents across the country rely heavily on manufactured goods from China, particularly baby products like car seats, strollers, and cribs that are critical for child safety. According to BabyList, 97 percent of strollers and 87 percent of car seats are manufactured in China.2
While this administration’s intended purpose for these tariffs is to help domestic manufacturers be more competitive, existing supply chain constraints limit our ability to competitively produce these goods stateside.
With the implementation of the 145 percent tariffs against China, some baby goods companies have frozen large quantities of imports from China and have started adjusting the prices of essential products parents need to bring their baby home from the hospital. Parents are now seeing an average increase of 30 percent for baby essentials from baby product companies including UPPAbaby, Cybex, and Valco.3 Families cannot absorb this “baby tax” and has led to fears of panic buying and the possibility that parents will turn to unsafe cost-saving alternatives, such as using expired car seats or retaining recalled items.
Parents should not be forced to choose between safety and making ends meet. It is imperative that you exempt baby safety essentials like car seats, cribs and strollers from these tariffs and we urge you to take immediate action.
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