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07-29-25 | News
"No, I don't [See any effect due to the tariffs]. I will be happy to not pay income tax anymore. Pretty excited to see America come first for once."
"Slowest Spring with new project leads since 2018. Commercial & Industrial projects are at a crawl, and custom residential is very slow. No one is sure which way the economic winds are blowing until this Summer or this Fall. So, most work is only with very large ongoing projects already under construction, permitting projects and very small residential projects. While gas is relatively reasonably priced over the last few years and while many products are lower than pandemic peak spikes, people are very price sensitive, services are very high, and landscape materials from mulch to plants still has risen steadily every year with no end in sight."
"Clients are beginning to be cautious about spending money since there is such a level of uncertainty about what the tariffs will be. The stock market swings affect how much confidence my clients have in spending money on a landscaping project. The cost of materials will certainly go up. The tariffs are just a way to tax the American public. My other business that I own with my husband revolves around importing goods from China. The containers we have ordered are going to cost us 145 % more than the cost of the goods. Or stated another way, our $50,000 container will now cost us $72,500 in tariffs that we have not budgeted for. So now we pay $122,500 instead of $50,000. This will not be sustainable for us or for many small businesses."
"I do not expect to be affected now or in the future. I am in full agreement with what the Trump administration is doing. I knew before he got elected this time that what his administration would have to do to bring healing and restoration to this country would be nothing short of a surgical procedure. With the Republicans controlling the Executive and the Legislative branches of the Federal Government, this type of surgery can now be performed. Being a follower of Jesus Christ, I trust that the Trump administration is following a higher mandate to serve and to save this country. With regard to the tariffs, I personally believe that they are intended to bring back some level of self-sufficiency to this country."
Association Opinions
Further, national associations had varying feelings regarding the economic move. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) published a news article stating that President Trump extended the 90-day suspension on reciprocal tariffs set to Aug. 1. They had originally set to end the tariffs on July 9. They went on to explain that a new tariff on copper was announced to bring specific sectors down. The 50% tax is in line with the steel and aluminum rates set in June. Letters to several nations regarding rates were sent.
There had been a Section 232 investigation launched on March 1 that focused on whether lumber imports are a national security threat. The NAHB disputes this and filed a complaint. According to the association, framing lumber prices are 18.9% higher than they were one year ago while lumber available for U.S. consumption in 2025 dropped to its lowest level since 2019.
Meanwhile, the National League of Cities (NLC) asked a variety of local leaders their opinions on the tariffs. Here, leaders spoke on how small businesses are grossly affected by tariffs because they "don't have as many options in the face of drastically rising costs from tariffs. They can either completely halt business if it's with a highly tariffed country, and then look to local options for potential substitutes, or they can raise prices, passing on some or all of that increase to the consumer..."
Further, the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP), interviewed several industry leaders, including STIHL. The article shows that most landscape divisions had concerns regarding material availability and supply chain issues but due to the pandemic, manufacturers had already expanded their supply chain and reviewed mitigation practices to keep production costs in check. All in all, the association professionals have not seen major disruptions thus far and they continue to monitor and plan for the unknown.
Tariffs and the Landscape Industry
Industry View
x
Tariffs are seemingly affecting everything including the landscape industry. From materials used in products like steel and aluminum seeing overall price upticks to concerns of disrupted supply chains, industry leaders are concerned over the immediate effects of the economic method. With all that in mind, the industry appears to be cautiously optimistic.
Landscape Contractor and Maintenance Professional Magazine conducted a survey asking landscape professionals if their business had been affected by the tariffs or if they anticipate being affected in the future. The responses received were mixed, such as:
"No - The tariffs will bring products back to the United States and decrease prices."
"Some contractors are scrambling to purchase materials before tariffs are in place. New quotes for materials are building in 25% markup for tariffs."
"No, I don't [See any effect due to the tariffs]. I will be happy to not pay income tax anymore. Pretty excited to see America come first for once."
"Slowest Spring with new project leads since 2018. Commercial & Industrial projects are at a crawl, and custom residential is very slow. No one is sure which way the economic winds are blowing until this Summer or this Fall. So, most work is only with very large ongoing projects already under construction, permitting projects and very small residential projects. While gas is relatively reasonably priced over the last few years and while many products are lower than pandemic peak spikes, people are very price sensitive, services are very high, and landscape materials from mulch to plants still has risen steadily every year with no end in sight."
"Clients are beginning to be cautious about spending money since there is such a level of uncertainty about what the tariffs will be. The stock market swings affect how much confidence my clients have in spending money on a landscaping project. The cost of materials will certainly go up. The tariffs are just a way to tax the American public. My other business that I own with my husband revolves around importing goods from China. The containers we have ordered are going to cost us 145 % more than the cost of the goods. Or stated another way, our $50,000 container will now cost us $72,500 in tariffs that we have not budgeted for. So now we pay $122,500 instead of $50,000. This will not be sustainable for us or for many small businesses."
"I do not expect to be affected now or in the future. I am in full agreement with what the Trump administration is doing. I knew before he got elected this time that what his administration would have to do to bring healing and restoration to this country would be nothing short of a surgical procedure. With the Republicans controlling the Executive and the Legislative branches of the Federal Government, this type of surgery can now be performed. Being a follower of Jesus Christ, I trust that the Trump administration is following a higher mandate to serve and to save this country. With regard to the tariffs, I personally believe that they are intended to bring back some level of self-sufficiency to this country."
Association Opinions
Further, national associations had varying feelings regarding the economic move. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) published a news article stating that President Trump extended the 90-day suspension on reciprocal tariffs set to Aug. 1. They had originally set to end the tariffs on July 9. They went on to explain that a new tariff on copper was announced to bring specific sectors down. The 50% tax is in line with the steel and aluminum rates set in June. Letters to several nations regarding rates were sent.
There had been a Section 232 investigation launched on March 1 that focused on whether lumber imports are a national security threat. The NAHB disputes this and filed a complaint. According to the association, framing lumber prices are 18.9% higher than they were one year ago while lumber available for U.S. consumption in 2025 dropped to its lowest level since 2019.
Meanwhile, the National League of Cities (NLC) asked a variety of local leaders their opinions on the tariffs. Here, leaders spoke on how small businesses are grossly affected by tariffs because they "don't have as many options in the face of drastically rising costs from tariffs. They can either completely halt business if it's with a highly tariffed country, and then look to local options for potential substitutes, or they can raise prices, passing on some or all of that increase to the consumer..."
Further, the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP), interviewed several industry leaders, including STIHL. The article shows that most landscape divisions had concerns regarding material availability and supply chain issues but due to the pandemic, manufacturers had already expanded their supply chain and reviewed mitigation practices to keep production costs in check. All in all, the association professionals have not seen major disruptions thus far and they continue to monitor and plan for the unknown.
