Tariff changes: Good deals on the way?

SCOTUS has knocked down the Trump's IEEPA tariffs last week. Trump then implemented global 10% based on Sec 122 of the 1974 trade act. What does that mean for us? A lot potentially.

• The 10% tariffs are a lot less than the IEEPA tariffs which depended on product type and country of origin. Some IEEPA rates were around 50%.
• It seems that several product types are exempt from Sec 122 tariffs. I'm not sure where DJ equipment may fall.
• There is the unanswered question of tariff refunds for past shipments (many companies have already filed suit for refunds).

In practical terms here is what we have to consider.

• Tariffs are levied at the time goods transit through US Customs, not when they are ordered or reach their final destination.
• Tariffs have already been paid on most goods that are sitting in warehouses today.
• Companies won't lower prices on goods they've paid tariffs on unless they get refunded.
• Gear now arriving on shores is possibly subject to a significantly lower tariff than before.
• The refund issue could take months to resolve.

I bought a lot of gear (mostly test equipment) when the tariffs were first implemented. This was because I wanted to get the stuff while it was in US warehouses and before tariffs were added to new stock. Now, we may have to wait until the warehouses empty and restock with new shipments at lower tariffs. This could takes weeks or months but it is worth watching out for.

My company has manufacturing sites all over the world. We pass tariffs on to customers as most in our industry do. Quoting a solution with parts from different sites meant knowing which tariff to apply to which product. It has been a nightmare to manage. The flat 10% is much simpler but it turns out, much of what we sell is exempt from it. I still haven't found out why as this development is just a few days old. Perhaps DJ equipment will fall under similar exemptions.