Who would have thought, Donald Trump's 'war' with China is now spilling over to the pickleball court.
Paddles that used to cost $230 are now reaching $333.50, just because of tariffs!
Retaliatory tariffs between the United States (US) and China are now depressing the price of sports equipment, including pickleball paddles whose name is rising in the sports world.
CRBN Company, one of the leading pickleball paddle manufacturers in the US, warned that the price of paddles could rise by up to 145%.
As a company that is just starting out in the sports world, they admit that they are struggling with soaring raw material costs, all due to this tariff war.
But what is more pressing is the uncertainty of the market — it could ruin the company at any time.
So far, CRBN has decided to stay put without raising the price of this game equipment, but it is not sure for how long.
Meanwhile, pickleball is gaining popularity in China.
But with the price of equipment skyrocketing, players and businesses are starting to feel the pinch.
First paddles, then maybe balls? Maybe then everyone can learn to make pickleball balls using natural materials to save money?
