The US Supreme Court today made news by determining that that President Donald Trump violated federal law when he unilaterally raised taxes for Americans by imposing massive tariffs on imports from around the world.
Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts’ opinion states that allowing Trump to impose taxes, without clear congressional authority, is an “existential threat” to the existence and prosperity of the country.
Trump responded by criticizing the Court as “lap dogs for RHINOS and the radical left” and “very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution.” He also announced that he will be imposing a new 10% global tariff, and that the administration will not be refunding the taxes that Americans have paid.
“Synthtopia Should Avoid Politics!!!!!!”
The Trump Administration’s tariffs have been a controversial topic for musicians since they were announced last year.
On this site, readers expressed a wide range of opinions, with some defending the tariffs as critical for the war on drugs, saving American jobs, or reducing the trade deficit. Others questioned how paying higher prices was going to ‘make America great again’.
Since then, though, musicians have seen gear prices jump, and it’s often clear that the tariffs were the cause.
Last year, the National Association Of Music Merchants warned that the tariffs would raise instrument prices and hurt music manufactures and retailers. And – while the administration has promised that other countries are paying the tariffs – readers found that prices at US retailers were suddenly much higher than prices at European retailers.
While many companies avoided discussing the tariffs to avoid the minefield of opinion that has accompanied them, a few have been upfront about the tariff’s impact.
Sonicware – maker of the Liven line of synths – updated its site to show the impact of the Trump adminstration’s tariffs. Roger Linn announced last year that he had to raise prices on his products because of the tariffs and inflation.
Even Behringer has quietly pointed this out. Last year, they started listing their their international product prices in US dollars – with US prices often 30% higher.
A less obvious impact of the tariffs is that they have caused a significant slowdown in US gear manufacturing.
US manufacturers can’t predict what their component costs will be in a month, so they’re taking less risks and introducing fewer new products. One manufacturer told us last year that they’d made a large PCB order and that – by time it shipped – their cost had more than doubled, because of the tariffs. Companies like Future Retro have put some new product plans on hold, because of the uncertainty the tariffs have created.
This slowdown was reflected at the 2026 NAMM Show, which was much smaller than it has been in recent years. Organizers eliminated the basement booths, closed off parts of the remaining floors and reduced the Show from four days to three.
While there were many interesting new introductions this year, many gear makers skipped the show completely, because they did not have anything new to introduce.
What Happens Now?
Politicians on both sides of the aisle have praised the Court’s decision.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky said “The use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to circumvent Congress in the imposition of tariffs….isn’t just bad policy, – it’s illegal.”
And Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky released a statement, staying “The Supreme Court defended the Constitution by rejecting the use of ‘emergency’ powers to impose taxes. Tariffs are taxes and the power to declare them belongs to the Congress.”
Democrats went further, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren D-Ma. saying “No Supreme Court decision can undo the massive damage that Trump’s chaotic tariffs have caused. The American people paid for these tariffs and the American people should get their money back.”
Politicians appear to be responding to economic reality and public opinion.
When Trump introduced his tariff plans last April, economists predicted that they would lead to slowing growth, high prices and fewer jobs. The most recent numbers from the US Commerce Department confirmed this, with GDP dropping to 1.4%, inflation rising to 3%, and unemployment rising.
These trends are reflected in public opinion. According a recent poll by Fox News, 63% of registered voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of tariffs, and 65% disapprove of the administration’s response to inflation.
Don’t Hold Your Breath….
While Trump’s tariffs are historically unpopular and the Supreme Court has declared many of them to be illegal, the decision doesn’t roll back all of Trump’s tariffs.
Taxes on some items – including semiconductors -have been imposed using different justifications. And Trump has responded to the Court’s decision by announcing a new global tariff tax of 10% on imports on just about everything else.
And, if you’re an American hoping to get back some of the estimated $1,700 you’ve paid because of these tariffs, don’t hold your breath. Trump has no plans to refund the money, and economists are predicting a long legal battle over the refunds.
Unfortunately, these things add up to continued chaos in the economy, challenges for manufacturers trying to make plans for the future, and higher prices for US consumers.
It’s likely to take weeks, if not months, for US gear manufacturers and retailers to understand what their new costs will be for importing components and products. Even when this becomes clear, US companies are likely to be paying much more than their international competitors for imported components, because of Trump’s tariffs. Because of this, we expect that it will be several years before the music gear industry recovers.
And – for the gear that retailers have in stock, don’t expect price drops. That stock was purchased with the higher taxes in place, and retailers have no promise of getting a refund. So, it’s unlikely that we’ll see gear prices drop in the near future.
TL;DR Version: US gear prices probably won’t drop in the near future.
What do you think about the Supreme Court’s decision? Have the tariffs affected your gear plans? Let us know in the comments!
Does this mean a US person buying off Thomann will be cheaper?
The base price listed at Thomann is a LOT cheaper. But if you buy from them, YOU are the importer.
They have a message on their site about this:
“Additional import duties apply to this shipment due to U.S. Customs Regulations. These will be collected by the delivery service before or upon delivery. ”
So either way, you are f***ed. It’s just more obvious that you’re getting slapped with the Trump tax if you buy something directly from overseas.
Nope. You’ll likely have to pay the item cost + shipping + import duty + courier handling fees. The $800 de minimis exemption was eliminated for almost all countries by executive action in late 2025 meaning buying from Thomann or any international seller has actually become more expensive and complex than it was a year ago. Also remember retaliatory tariffs were enacted by other countries so if that synth from Thomann had to go back for warranty or a return you would be in another pickle.
Trump bitching that the Supreme Court justices that he nominated are “RHINOS” is kind of hysterical.
I just want those price drops… 🙁
Inflation minus food and energy (which are excluded because of their volatility) has been trending down for months now, and sits at 2.5%. GDP hasn’t been affected to any meaningful degree at all, not even close. Even all the “affordability” scare is nonsense, as wages adjusted for inflation continue to rise just like they have the past ten years. Then you choose Mitch McConnell as an example of “both sides of the aisle”? Yeah I guess with backstabber John McCain no longer available, you had to go with Mitch. Please refrain from talking economics and politics until you find sources beyond CNN and The Huffington Post, or just keep making a fool of yourself I guess.
Sounds like you’re aware of the perils of limiting your sources to those that reinforce your position and dismiss all else as “nonsense”. You mean for us to disbelieve our “lying eyes”.
Way to miss the point & be a hypocrite. An unpopular, illegal policy hasn’t passed its ultimate test. Why should Synthtopia avoid talking about politics and economics when it directly affects synths? Why should your opinion be valid when the website’s isn’t?
Also, check the links, there’s Fox, CBS, Forbes & WSJ. No CNN of Huff that I saw. Your assumptions don’t hold water.
John McCain died in 2018. You can’t blame him forever. Genuine question – what backstabbing did he do and why is it relevant?
Evan, new numbers from the Fed show that inflation jumped 0.4% in the 4th quarter of 2025. 12 month core PCE is now 2.997%.
Worse, it appears that GDP is stalling. The nation cannot position itself as “the leader of the free world” while threatening close trading partners with invasion and placing blanket taxes on imports. There are no reputable economists who think this is a good long-term strategy.
‘Affordability is not a problem as long as people don’t have to afford food and electricity!’ – Evan the Economist ?
??
“Please refrain from talking economics and politics until you find sources beyond CNN and The Huffington Post, or just keep making a fool of yourself I guess.”
It sounds like Fox News to liberal for you. LOL
PS: The depressing economic numbers come from the Trump administration. Rhinos!!!!
Tariffs made things more expensive. That’s it. Full stop. Inflation has not dropped enough to offset other costs. Talk to any middle class person.
I’ve preemptively bought added storage because g-damned AI & crypto are sucking up SSD-making capacity. Micron is vacating Crucial, who offered great consumer drives. Now, the prices are heading into high orbit. Its not just a tariff issue. Its psycho billionaires giving the world a sandpaper enema.
I’m sticking with software synths more and more. They’re still avoiding the more serious madness. Hardware is mostly on the back burner until this insanity gets resolved. Politicians deserve to be dropped into an Icelandic volcano so they can work on doing the breast stroke in molten lava. Never mind their party or affiliations, dump ’em in! There’s some meme food for you.
Serves you morons right for voting the deranged orange cretin in.
Yeah! I thought Trump was going to only make the brown and queer people suffer! Not me and my family too!
/s
Solution is to learn to play regional instruments of your country: no tariffs and 100% fun
Can you give examples of regional instruments? Seems like many countries would require importing some materials.
Idiot tariffs almost caused one of my kids to lose their business because nobody in this country can make the products they design. WTF does GDP have to do with collecting tariffs illegally for a year anyway?
Minus food and energy you say? Well that’s a fair chunk of what gets paid out in my household. My wages aren’t “going up” either. If you can’t find better sources of information beyond Fox News and Twitter Just keep spout nonsense in a smug tone of voice and telling yourself that you are the one who REALLY knows what’s happening. Hey man, your real name wouldn’t happen to be Dunning Krugar by any chance?
I just hope Dubya remembers to send The Manchurian Cantaloupe a thank you note for no longer having to go down in history as the stupidest President in US history.
True that about the stupidity of the current administration. Citing the war on drugs to ramp up tariffs THEN pardon the founder of The Silk Road and the President of Honduras is profoundly dumb.
Sorry Atomic Shadow but W isn’t the dumbest President. I would have to choose the President who weakened our international influence by his apology tour which emboldened Putin to take Crimea from Ukraine.
You have to be a blind and deaf Maga supporter if you don’t realize that the tariffs have increased prices significantly.And the negative impact it has had on industries in Europe The Trump administration is destroying so many lives
The more the pathological liar screams the better Europe does actually. Trump is like a trojan horse for America. He’s destroying America from inside out.
I’m a Republican and I don’t recognize my party anymore, I’m rooting for a takeover of both houses of Congress by the opposition. I’m stunned that three so-called conservative SCOTUS judges sided with Trump.
Did you vote twice for him?
I’ve never understood the “I’m a Republican” line. I’m a human being with free thought, not aligned to the election platform of a particular party. My vote changes, depending on the candidates and issues of the day. I definitely don’t go around declaring, “I’m a Pepsi!!”
Tariffs in reality was just a way to make their people pay the astronomical debt the US is in and the additional debt it was about to add due to Trump administration expenditures.
The way prices jumped up during the pandemic havent really go down the way they went up. Add the RAM and NAND crisis, Iran war, etc to always have an excuse to just stair prices up be it is a subtle way or just put a blunt hike like tariffs.
Id say this is the perfect time to sell the gear you want and get significantly more vs selling when things get “a bit cheap” again.
Bingo. Trump’s entire life has been taking on debt then coming up with schemes to get out of it or using his name as credit. Why would anyone think this would be different?
Even though music has always been reflective of the political society we all inhabit, it’s a shame that one reckless and incompetent oligarch and his dwindling band of armed white supremacist ‘Christian’ Nationalist Thugs can ruin something as esoteric as synthesizer ownership. Maybe everyone reading this can compose something for a protest compilation…
A tariff is NOT a tax. A tax is a broad, mandatory charge imposed by governments on income, property, or sales to fund public services originating in the countries where they live and whom they serve.
A tariff is a specific fee levied exclusively on foreign companies for the sale of their goods in another country.
The Congress has all necessary authority to levy taxes, according to the Constitution, pending a veto, which can only be over-ridden by a 2/3rds majority of the Congress. (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution)
Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution also indirectly governs tariffs, granting Congress the explicit power to create and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises” and to “regulate Commerce with foreign Nations”. But while the Constitution assigns this authority solely to Congress, the Legislature has historically delegated, through statutes, specific tariff-setting powers to the President in the same way that they delegated the regulation of our monetary policies to the private banking lobby known as the “Federal Reserve”, which is no more a part of the Federal Government, than is Federal Express.
IOW, the distinction between taxes and tariffs is perpetually unclear when it come down to the actions and decisions of “the Government”.
Be that as it may, ALL nations levy “tariffs” on most other nations in the form of duties, import fees and counter-tariffs. There is nothing new here. The only difference is that now the U.S. is employing tariffs as it always did, but raising them to compete with the same levels of tariffs that other nations have levied on U.S. imports.
The bad news is foreign instruments will cost more.
The good news is that U.S.-made instruments will have a more favorable market.
Hey Moog …whadda ya think?
“The only difference is that now the U.S. is employing tariffs as it always did…”
Really. That’s the only difference. Interesting take, given that the Supreme Court had to rule that the Trump administration was using them illegally. That’s kinda different from… anyone ever before.
Also, tariffs are taxes (not fees) on imports. So that’s another thing you’re wrong about.
At least we both want lower musical instrument prices. Alas.
„ The good news is that U.S.-made instruments will have a more favorable market.“
Yeah, all parts US manufacturers use are made in the US and not at all imported11111!1!
Oh wait… nevermind.
You’re not seriously suggesting these tariffs will have a positive impact on gear prices long term, are you?
Moog’s production moved to China, and much of the industry is headed the same direction due to private equity buyouts. The smaller US manufacturers of music gear, like Earthquaker devices, are getting starved and killed by these nonsensical tariffs, since they like all US manufacturing still depend on chips and components manufactured in china, since the US infrastructure for this DOES NOT EXIST on the scale needed to meet demand.
Meanwhile, the corporate businesses that can afford to weather this will simply up their prices, passing the tariff costs DIRECTLY TO CONSUMERS, and they will stick there even if the tariffs go away, since consumers will have fewer and fewer alternatives as the actual US-produced market dries up.
Moog’s production moved to Taiwan, not China. Big difference there. But the rest of your point’s mostly accurate.
It’s not just infrastructure that the USA lacks, it’s also an employable workforce for all this new domestic manufacturing. When the employment rate’s near to total employment, it’s hard to fill vacancies for new work. Like at 4% unemployment, the skilled & appropriate staff are probably all working elsewhere, so to get them in the door you need to them pay more, then get the customer to pay more for the end product.
If only there was room to employ willing foreigners to fill that gap… Oh wait.
“A tariff is not a tax.”
If it quacks like a duck… It is effectively a tax, and it has been shown to be paid mostly by U.S. consumers.
“There is nothing new here. The only difference is that now the U.S. is
employing tariffs as it always did, but raising them to compete with
the same levels of tariffs that other nations have levied on U.S. imports.”
Your idea that the only difference now is raising tariffs to match other countries glosses over these facts: the U.S. historically had low tariffs within a global trade framework; current tariffs are far broader and higher; and the economic impacts fall mostly on Americans instead of being a simple tit-for-tat with other nations. That’s what makes the present situation qualitatively different, not just a routine tariff increase.
“A tariff is NOT a tax. ”
“A tariff is a specific fee levied exclusively on foreign companies for the sale of their goods in another country.”
You’re repeating Trump’s lies.
Tariffs are taxes paid by the person or company buying the imported good. They are not levied on foreign companies at all. Ultimately, Americans pay the cost through higher prices.
“The good news is that U.S.-made instruments will have a more favorable market.”
More Trump lies.
US-made instruments cost more now, because manufactures rely on imported parts that are not made in the US. They also can’t compete internationally, because US companies have to pay such higher taxes. This is killing American businesses and driving the rest overseas.
“There is nothing new here. The only difference is that now the U.S. is employing tariffs as it always did, but raising them to compete with the same levels of tariffs that other nations have levied on U.S. imports.”
Even more Trump propaganda.
Trump raised tariffs from an average of 2% to as much as 100%, which is higher than they’ve been in a century. There’s a reason high tariffs are avoided – they lead directly to inflation and unemployment.
Semantics aside, the money paid to clear federal tax debts and customs obligations (tariffs) goes where? To the federal government? The words may be different but the outcome’s the same.
If everybody pays the prices of it, it is a tax with a different label, no matter what you call it.
It’s as simple as that, no need for mental gymnastics.
These tariffs did rise the price of US products in the EU too, means those products are less popular now and people avoid them.
good luck with the tumbling US market.
Bill,
I voted for Saint Ronald of Reagan. Once. Then he quintupled the national debt. Over time I’ve seen how billionaires have captured the government and GOP/DEM is just two sides of the same corrupt coin. We now have a system where profit is privatized and loses are socialized. Since the problem is so vast the solutions don’t fit on a bumper sticker. It’s near impossible to get objective facts into the heads of some people. Plus most people are too busy working to read anything. A well educated electorate is necessary for a healthy democracy. The current state of the union makes that point in the most painful way. I fear that I have woken up living the dystopia that science fiction warned us about in the 1970s.
My comment above meant to say that Glorious Leader Trump would now go down in history as the stupidest man to ever hold the office. Dubya should express thanks for being spared the title.
Non-American here. Noting the age of a Ronald Reagan as president (and that he likely had the early stages of alzheimers while in office) – is it time to amend the US constitution for who can become president?
For instance:
a) set an upper age limit.
b) require a minimum number of years in either elected public office or military service.
c) pass health & cognitive tests within 4 years of the upper age limit, to be tested by an independent body of medical doctors.
d) release all tax & relevant financial documents when announcing that a candidate will be nominated as running for president.
e) have no criminal convictions or lost civil cases (as defendant) at the time of running for president.
F) failing any of the above either prohibits a candidate or requires the sitting president to abdicate in a set timeframe.
It amazes me that a population would vote for someone who may die of old age before seeing out their term. I’d never trust my 80 something parents to make a decision affecting other people’s families and finances. They’re just not going to make the right decisions and compromises.
That is not how democracy works.
I love Trump
So does Iranians, and everyone else who does not want illegals in their country. Go Trump, MAGA USA.
I dreamed that Superman got pissed and tore the “T” off of everything Trump has smeared with his name. Suddenly, it all states “RUMP.” The Orange Shartnado starts screaming about it on TV and suddenly keels over dead from a giant stroke. Cue a thousand memes playing “Yakkity Sax” in the background. This is what you get when you have pizza and tequila for dinner.
lol
Sad to say, I’ve stopped spending money on synths and now put all my disposable income into guns, first aid supplies, solar generators, and water filters. Life in America, 2026.
You’re correct, this isn’t about politics. This about saving ourselves from violent authoritarians who are spending our tariff dollars on concentration camps. And yes, I choose that term very precisely.
“The Behringer Swing is currently priced around $75 in Europe, but is listing between $129 to $169 in the US”. LOL. Enjoy what you voted.
Here is an idea, how about wee keep this site to what we all love, synthesizers and electronic music. Avoid the politics please because it only divides everyone.
Looks like they beat you to this in the article itself. lol
Here’s a neato idea. If you like to keep your art separate from reality, you can glance at the subject title and, if it crosses your line, just fight whatever urge you have to click, read, and comment on topics that don’t interest you. You’re free to keep your head in the sand. The article is excellent and makes a clear case for why the topic is relevant to a synth site.
when reality becomes so absurd that you have to pinch yourself to make sure your not dreaming, it is the time to talk about politics.
Supreme Court says he can just use embargo. Iranians love him. I love him, Everyone who is on the side of democracy Loves Trump. Go Trump Maga.
Being in the US. I have never paid less for musical instrument stuff ever, Golden Age of music and US.
He blew up 150 grade school kids, and the MAGA cult thinks that Iranians love him for it.
You can’t fix stupid!
Here is the answer to the “problem” of tariffs. First, our country had no Federal tax and the federal gov ran on tariffs. It was not a problem then. If all these music companies built their products in America. If Moog built their synths here, they would not have to raise their prices because there would be no tariffs.
Also, Americans would get the jobs that Chinese have now. Communism and slave labor are not the way of America. Capitalism. THIS IS THE WAY. It is what made us prosperous. You can argue all you want, but this is the way. We have lost our way. But someone has stepped up and is making America great again and is stopping other countries from tariffing our goods and taking advantage of the US. Go Trump!
Explain how you’re going to pay for the US military, social security and medicare using tariffs. We’ll wait.
Trump’s tariffs are the largest in history, and they don’t cover event the interest payments on the US debt. Trump would have to raise his tariffs by 800% just to do that.