A recent website poll from Equipment World found that a majority of contractors support President Donald Trump’s tariffs on China, which reached as high at 145%.
Just over 65% of contractors said they supported the more than 100% tariffs on China; 30% were opposed, and 4.6% were unsure. The poll received 263 responses.
The majority of these responses were recorded prior to the May 12 announcement that the Trump administration had reached a new trade agreement with China, which saw tariffs reduced to a baseline 10% for 90 days (plus a 20% fentanyl trafficking-related tariff on China) from the peak of 145% since new tariffs began on April 2.
Equipment World
When asked if the tariffs were impacting their decision to purchase new equipment, 37.3% said it was, 55.5% said it wasn’t, and 6.8% weren’t sure.
Many of those who said the tariffs were impacting their purchasing decision mentioned cost increases and how that could restrict their selection process.
One contractor said, “Prices will rise with tariffs, and they are a solution to a problem that doesn't really exist.” Another said, “It makes purchasing new equipment, which was already ludicrously expensive, unsustainable.”
Another contractor said, “The budgets for the jobs, especially the public ones, do not allow such percentage of increase. The private customers are also not prepared to cover it. [It] means less jobs to do.”
Looking at contractors who said the tariffs were not impacting their decision to purchase new equipment, a common theme was a preference for buying equipment that was made in the USA or already running American equipment. Many contractors said the country’s trade relations with China were unfair or unbalanced and supported tariffs as a short-term means to a long-term solution.
Other reasons were that many contractors either didn’t need to buy equipment or had budgeted ahead of time for price increases in 2025. Some pointed to purchasing used equipment instead of new equipment, and others said they hadn’t seen the impact of the tariffs yet.
When asked if the tariffs were impacting what equipment brands they were considering buying, 39.2% said it was, 50.2% said it wasn’t, and 10.6% said they weren’t sure.
Among contractors who said it was impacting their equipment brands purchasing decisions, most pointed to buying products that were made in America or brands that would be least impacted by the tariffs.
One contractor said, “Still need to make sound purchase decisions. Might also introduce me to something I haven't tried yet. This is good for the vendors who are less affected by the tariff hikes than the ones that are total reliant on Chinese manufacturing.”
Others pointed to the fact that most machines will carry components made all over the world.
One contractor said, “We do have a Chinese piece of equipment in the shop. Concerns about future service and parts support are real.”
