More Price Increases Due in July

New price increases are due July 1 on car audio products including amplifiers made in China, due to recent tariffs.

At least four suppliers are planning to boost prices in a range from 4 to 25 percent.

JL Audio is spreading the increases across many products.  It will raise dealer pricing by 4 to 5 percent on most, but not all 12V products, as of July 1. Retail prices will be adjusted proportionally, it said.

Elettromedia is raising prices on some amplifiers by 25 percent as of July 1.  The company, however, has a program in place in June “to help our dealers buy at the old prices.”

Elettromedia’s digital signal processors (DSPs) and Prima and Thesis amps are not subject to price increases as they are made in Italy.

Cerwin Vega, expects to raise prices by 7 to 8 percent on amps and electronics July 1.

Maxxsonics will also add a 9 percent line item on its amplifiers effective July 1.

These join price increases in June from brands including Kenwood, JVC, Rockford, Alpine. Also, Diamond Audio raised prices June 1 on amplifiers and electronics by 8 percent.

Cerwin Vega’s Bob Chanthavongsa said the company saw a large spike in sales this month as dealers placed sizeable orders ahead of the July 1 price increase. “For Cerwin Vega, this quarter is exceeding last year’s numbers as people buy in,” he said. Business is up by over double digits this June over last year.  Two other suppliers said they saw atypical increases in June due to a buy-in prior to price hikes.

But another supplier said some larger dealers and mass merchants are delaying purchases for the second half of the year due to the uncertainty caused by the tariffs.

President Trump said he may ratchet up the tariffs to cover an additional $300 billion in Chinese goods, which would include car audio speakers, as well as cellphones and computers.  All are looking to June 28 and 29, during the G20 summit, when Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are expect to meet.  The hope is that the leaders will reach a settlement resulting in scaled back tariffs.