“With the ongoing tariff uncertainties in the U.S., we wanted to take decisive action to bring clarity”: Irish guitar firm announces a new U.S.-based distribution hub to tackle tariff impact – will other manufacturers follow suit?

With the U.S.'s temporary pause on sweeping tariffs set to expire on July 9, and as the global trade war continues to loom over many musical instrument companies and retailers, Irish carbon fiber guitar builder Emerald Guitars has just announced it will be establishing a hub in the States to “support its rapidly expanding U.S. customer base”.

According to Emerald Guitars, by shipping all custom and in-stock instruments via the new U.S. facility, import duties and tariffs will be removed for the buyers and instead absorbed by the company, alongside eliminating any possibility of customer delays.

“With the ongoing tariff uncertainties in the U.S., we wanted to take decisive action to bring clarity and consistency to our customers,” said Alistair Hay, founder of Emerald Guitars.

“By handling U.S. orders through our new distribution hub, we eliminate any surprise fees for our customers and offer a smoother, more predictable experience.”

Hay and his team assert that, while each guitar will continue to be handcrafted in Donegal, Ireland, this new setup will ensure that no tariff fees are passed on to their customers. While the new distribution hub in Port St. Lucie, Florida, is still in the early stages of setup, plans are in place to have over 200 guitars in stock in the States by mid-August.

The hub will also include a U.S. Service Center for warranty and service work, and a Player’s Suite showroom, scheduled to open by appointment in the near future.

While Emerald Guitars is the first to publicly announce this workaround, it begs the question as to whether other non-U.S.-based manufacturers will follow suit, especially since the Trump administration has recently told reporters that a tariff reprieve extension isn’t on the cards, and is subsequently informing countries of their new tariff rates.

After all, even U.S.-based companies are reeling over tariff uncertainties: New York City-based pedal firm Electro-Harmonix has highlighted that while the company has enough stock to weather the storm for a short time, it will inevitably be affected by the ballooning costs.

The CEO and co-founder of the Ohio-based pedal maker EarthQuaker Devices, Julie Robbins, has also shared that the business is at risk of going bankrupt as a result of tariff uncertainties and the ensuing increased costs and slowing sales.