Potential Tariff Could Be 'Very, Very Impactful' For Snow Sport Industry

GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4) - People in the snow sports industry in Colorado will head to Washington, D.C. to speak out against President Donald Trump's latest round of proposed tariffs. Products that could face a potential 25 percent tariff include sports bags, knit hats, safety helmets and ski gloves.

One company in Golden sells those kinds of products around the world. Dino Dardano, President of Hestra USA, says consumers should brace for change.

"It's game changing," he said.

Dardano has been running the hub in Golden for 13 years.

"We love our location here in Colorado. It's really central to the ski industry which is our core industry we serve."

The company sells ski gloves, work gloves and also have a high end fashion line. A majority of their products are made with leather.

"The percentage of leather dictates that this falls under that tariff code," he said. "Eighty-five percent of our line is leather so it's going to be very, very impactful for us."

Dardano is talking about the president's latest proposal, a 25 percent tariff on $200 billion worth of U.S. imports from China. That list includes everything from winter hats to ski helmets and gloves.

Nick Sarent, President of the SnowSports Industries America, says an increase of this size would be a huge blow.

"Our goal is to take these product categories and remove them from the tariff list and get them excluded," he said.

While he and other industry representatives testify in the nation's capitol, business owners like Dardano say if it can't be stopped they will have to increase costs to consumers.

"Asking any company to absorb a 25 percent increase is next to impossible. We don't have that kind of profit margin... The unfortunate piece is it's really going to impact or industry or our sport," Dardano said.

Before a decision is made on the final list of products, the U.S. Trade representative has opened the process to public comments until Sept. 5.