Chinese Optics and Tariffs

No politics please Without a lot of serious investigation on my part regarding the recent tariffs and their effective dates, has anyone noticed any interruption in supply or change in prices in our shooting sports optics products ? Various scopes are made or sourced in China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Japan, the Czech Republic, Romania, Germany and even some assembled here in the USA. etc The world economy and interrelation of various parts results in many variables. Not sure what is being targeted by our recent tariffs, if any and what effect other charges have. Does anyone have any credible industry comment or purchase experience on these products ? My Nikon scope is on backorder and no availability is offered. Maybe hunting season.

 

Flouncer,
There has been no interruption that I am aware and there is plenty of product to go around for everyone in the industry. Duty is significantly different from Japan vs. Philippines, hence the move of many brands purchasing from the Philippines.

EJ

 

All Chinese made products are a waste of money.. All throw away crap.

 

If all the Chinese scopes disappeared I wouldn’t notice. Now if my Swarovski and Meopta disappears I’m going to be upset.

 

Leo Smith,
Would you please expatiate on your above comment with empirical evidence as it relates to optics. Are you in the optics industry? If so, please share your guarded industry secrets that we industry insiders do not possess?

EJ

 

If this helps Filipino companies or other optics shops not in China, that is great.

No matter what tariffs or taxes are applied, we are heading toward Chinese domination of low cost manufacturing so anything that helps other countries improve their game is great.

 

30 years of Chinese Imports, (It's called Experience) So called "we insiders", Chinese?
https://www.autosphere.ca/tirenews/tires-articles/2017/05/05/tire-imports-chinese-brands/
https://www.chemsafetypro.com/Topics/Restriction/China_RoHS_2_vs_EU_RoHS_2.html
http://www.poisonedpets.com/half-toys-tested-china-contain-toxins-posing-danger-children-pets/

So Many More, But I retired,For Me. Not to research for lazy people.
https://www.made-in-china.com/products-search/hot-china-products/Hazardous_Materials.html
http://blog.environmentalchemistry.com/2007/08/made-in-china-with-lead-or-other-toxins.html

 

I expect prices of Chinese optics will increase for the consumer when tariffs take effect. Vortex, most of Leupold and Bushnell, and many other brands will just be charging more for the same run of the mill Chinese products they have always produced.

I've migrated away from Chinese products as best I can over the years. Japanese made is always excellent quality. European optics are very nice as well but cost more. Optical and build quality between high end Japanese and high end European products seems to be closer every year. Depending on the product, many times I will prefer a top end piece of Japanese glass over top end European glass. Both top notch and Chinese products can never compare.

If tariffs increase the price of Chinese optics, i dont really care. That's just all the more reason for me to purchase high end Japanese and European glass.

 

China is starting to make decent quality optics but if they have tariffs, that upper end Asian manufactured scope market is going to be closed to them because they won't be able to compete on price in the US and with the lack of gun rights outside of the US, that will hurt.

I would rather have Japanese or European always but some guns call for a low cost scope. If I can avoid China when I'm buying low budget gear, I'll be happy.

 

Leo Smith,
A clever retort is not necessary, just the facts. All the links you posted above have nothing to do with optics made in the Pacific rim. Are you in the optics industry? Based on your above comments I assume you are not in the optics industry. There are a lot of Chinese produced optics that are of poor to very poor quality, however there are some very high quality optics coming out of China.

EJ

 

You get what you pay for. If you want high end optics out of China, they will make it and you will pay a premium.

 

Firearms goods haven’t been a focus there. Domestically they don’t have them, our laws prevent importing them (firearms), and I imagine PRC manufacturing prohibitions also exist. I don’t think anyone wants to complain about any of that if they’re being honest.

I ordered an Apple I Phone 11 to replace a 6 while the getting is still good. Half a terabyte, 12 megapixel cameras, 4 of them. Of the $1,500 price, Chinese industry probably earned, maybe $100? This will be singularly the most difficult object to produce I will own.

Apple is our largest company. That little pile of raw materials, it did originate in the US, some of it.

 

Nothing is going to stop the supply of iPhones for an extended amount of time short of a world war or extinction event level meteor strike.

That is unless people quit buying them.

 

Name one!

 

Have you ever seen their glasses?

 

Takes more than glass to make a scope. Name one Please

 

Yaogan 2
Yaogan 4
Yaogan 7
Yaogan 8

Take your pick.

 

This has nothing to do with the quality of Chinese scopes.

 

Very high end optics, more than likely Chinese made and they made it because the government told them to.

They probably don't place any military value on high end scopes because they see soldiers as cannon fodder.

So they can do high end optics, they just aren't motivated to make higher end scopes for the US market, probably because the money isn't big enough.

In consumer telescopes, I think there are a few apochromatic refractors coming out of China. That's high end stuff, just not as complex mechanically. The mechanicals of the better Chinese made scopes are not horrible so there is nothing stopping them.