Chinese Tariffs and Christmas Decorations

How will retaliatory tariffs impact our Christmas decoration spending? NBC News Radio National Correspondent Rory O'Neill joins us with the latest. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Sked two the very latest on tariff talk, which this
program has kind of turned into Rory O'Neil, Nbceniors Radio
National correspondent, good morning, Hey.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
There see good morning, Happy Thursday.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
Market goes nuts yesterday when the President says he's going
to pause those tariffs to give time for folks to
come to the table. Except for China. And as we
get ready for Christmas. Apparently there are a couple of
things we get from China around Christmas time, just.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
One or two. Maybe it's the fake tree, maybe it's
the lights you put on it. Maybe it's the other
decorations on the tree and all around the house. But
most of that stuff is made in China. By the way,
the number two maker of Christmas decorations is Cambodia. I
didn't know that either, but CNBC did this interesting story

(00:50):
that found the big Chinese Christmas decoration makers have zero
orders from the US. Mid April is normally prime time
for them. The orders come flooding in, they get to manufacturing.
This stuff gets put on ships and that way it
can be on store shelves by Labor Day. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:07):
I was going to ask you that, so, I mean,
what's the lead time on this thing. When can if
China and the United States and come to some sort
of agreement where we play a little nicer in the sandbox.
How long do they have to have before they make
that stuff so we can buy it and buy it
again next year because it's going to break.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
Well right, And we all now replace the Christmas light
squat every three years max. Of these days get so
frustrated to tearing them apart and throwing them out because
they didn't put them away properly last year. But yeah,
that's one of the big issues. Is is this timing.
And again, a lot of these companies were making in China.
We're making upfront investments saying, well, let me buy enough

(01:50):
green plastic, let me buy enough copper to put enough
bulbs to put these things together. And now they're stuck
holding the bag. So a lot of these Chinese companies
now scrambling to find markets for their products. Send them
to Australia, sell them to Europe and Canada, and find
other destinations that would want to take some of this

(02:10):
stuff in because there isn't too much lag time here
in order to get these products created and shipped.

Speaker 1 (02:17):
Let me ask you this question, it's related to the topic,
but not on the topic. Have you ever used a
replacement bulb in a string of lights to put into
one that is broken and have it work and restore
the rest of the chain of lights.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
When it was the old school, actually a light bulb
with threads on it, not the little clippy one. Now
that we have the two little things of copper out useless,
I agree.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
I think that's a lie. Why with the little clippy
thing in the copper? Never once in my life have
I been able to replace me.

Speaker 2 (02:53):
I'll tell you that. Have you seen the thing with
the gun? You click it three times and it's supposed
to make the socket work again.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
I got that for Chris smiss from somebody. It doesn't
work either.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
Nope, it's like that Maide in China.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
Crap and there it is, friends. I think that thing's
made there too. All right, Rory and Neil, NBC News
Radio National correspondent, well done as always, Thank you, Thanks me,