Click the link to read the article on The Denver Post website (Judith Kohler). Here’s an excerpt:
October 5, 2025
While economists and politicians debate the merits and drawbacks of higher taxes on imports, industry representatives, state officials and business owners say the small and mid-sized companies that make up the bulk of Colorado’s outdoor business sector are struggling with the fallout. And the new tariffs come on top of duties that have been historically higher than for many other industries. Through the years, outdoor businesses have gone to China, Vietnam and other countries where materials and production facilities for technical gear and equipment are more available. All those factors make it difficult for outdoor businesses to move production to the U.S. At best, they say, it would take a few years to develop the factories and necessary expertise. Michael Mojica began moving some of the manufacturing for his business, Outdoor Element, from China to Vietnam in search of lower tariffs. But the shift wasn’t quite fast enough in the quickly changing trade arena. He received word from his logistics company that, even though the shipment was on the water, increase in tariffs on steel and aluminum announced Aug. 18 would pile another 50% onto the 28% rate he already was paying on those goods. Outdoor Element uses the metals for products that include multitool carabiners, stoves, knives and fire-starting equipment.
“I was planning to pay $4,200 for tariffs. I ended up paying $12,600. There went my profit,” Mojica said.
Outdoor Element, based in Englewood, had its best year in 2024. This year, Mojica is questioning whether he’ll be able to stay in business…
The effects of tariffs on outdoor businesses are no small thing for the national or state economy. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis said the outdoor recreation economy accounted for 2.3% of the national gross domestic product in 2023. The total economic output was $1.2 trillion in terms of gross output. In Colorado, the outdoor industry accounted for 3.2% of the state’s GDP in 2023, according to the federal agency. A study conducted for the state found that the economic output associated with outdoor recreation by Colorado residents totaled $65.8 billion in 2023, contributing $36.5 billion to the state’s GDP. The Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation plan said the economic activity supported approximately 404,000 jobs in Colorado, which represented 12% of the entire labor force, and produced $22.2 billion in salaries and wages. Other economic contributions in 2023 included $11.2 billion in local, state and federal tax revenue, according to the study. Colorado’s outdoor industry is vulnerable to negative impacts from tariffs because the majority of the goods are produced in Cambodia, Vietnam and other countries with high levies on imports to the U.S., a Sept. 4 report by the Polis administration said. The industry is also mostly made up of small businesses.