Chinese-made Jinhao Fountain Pens and Cartidges Under Trump's Tariffs

The U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports are impacting our ability to buy inexpensive stationery like Jinhao fountain pens and ink cartridges in a few ways, though the extent depends on the specific tariff categories and enforcement. It is difficult to understand what is going on, since no one seems to know the details on the president's import taxes. Here's how they might affect us:

1. Price Increases

• If Jinhao pens or ink cartridges fall under tariffed categories, U.S. importers (or retailers) may pass the added cost on to consumers.
• Even if the base price of the items remains low, shipping or bulk purchasing costs may rise.

2. Reduced Availability

• Retailers may scale back imports of lower-margin items like inexpensive pens if tariffs make them less profitable.
• Some suppliers might stop selling certain products to U.S. customers altogether, especially on platforms like AliExpress or eBay.

3. Shift to Other Brands or Sources

• U.S. sellers might switch to sourcing similar items from other countries like India, Vietnam, or Taiwan, which could offer alternatives—though potentially at slightly higher prices or different quality levels.

4. Delay in Deliveries

• Customs processes can slow down due to additional paperwork or inspections on tariffed goods, leading to longer wait times, especially for international orders.

What You Can Do:

• Buy direct from non-U.S. platforms like AliExpress, but note that shipping may be slower or slightly more expensive.
• Stock up on your favorite items now if they’re still at pre-tariff prices.

Personally, I have enough pens to last quite a while before the nibs start getting wonky. As for ink cartridges, I'm really glad that I have converters!

I'll save my cartridges for when I'm out and about. That is, I'll keep them in my pen case in case my converter runs out of ink when I'm away from home. But as much as possible, I'll refill converters using bottled ink.

The issue with refilling? My beloved J. Herbin inks are imported from France! So their price is also going up! I enjoy some U.S. ink companies, like Noodler's Ink and Levenger. The issue with tariffs, though, is that by raising the cost of imports, in-country producers are tempted to raise their prices (or simply offer fewer sales), since their foreign competition is suddenly less competitive.