The fitness industry’s top trade organization is fighting to ensure fitness equipment isn’t subject to steel tariff hikes recently instituted by President Trump.
This week, President Trump signed a proclamation to raise the Section 232 tariff rate on steel and aluminum products from 25% to 50%, a move that’s drawn widespread criticism from business leaders and economic experts. Now, the U.S. Department of Commerce is considering two proposals that, if accepted, would force fitness equipment such as dumbbells, kettlebells and resistance machines to be subject to the 50% tariffs.
The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) submitted comments on Wednesday opposing the proposals. HFA pointed to the “public health, economic, and small business consequences” such tariffs would impose on the fitness industry and Americans fitness enthusiasts.
HFA advanced several legal and technical arguments for why fitness equipment shouldn’t be included in steel tariffs, but the organization also pointed to something more fundamental: that raising prices on fitness equipment is bad for the health of Americans.
According to HFA, new tariffs would raise the price of fitness equipment and also gym memberships, making it harder for Americans, especially low-income populations, to access fitness. The trade organization argued such a move goes against The Trump Administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement and recent findings in the MAHA report, which called for more physical activity for American children.
“Tariffs on widely used exercise equipment are in direct conflict with these priorities. Instead of lowering barriers to physical activity, they raise them – especially for schools, senior centers, small businesses and families operating under tight financial constraints,” the trade organization wrote in its comments. “The (MAHA) report emphasizes the need to ‘make the healthy choice the easy choice,’ but tariffs would do the opposite – making the healthy choice more expensive, less accessible and less equitable.”
HFA leaders have expressed optimism about the fitness industry’s chances to get a bigger seat at the table in Washington, D.C. under the Trump Administration, saying the industry has a “huge opportunity” to push for favorable policy considerations and beneficial legislation thanks to the MAHA movement. Last week, the House of Representatives passed President Trump’s “big, beautiful tax bill,” which includes language that would allow Americans to use pre-tax funds from healthcare accounts on fitness and youth sports expenses.
American fitness manufacturers will still be subject to other tariffs, including duties on Chinese imports, outside of the Section 232 steel tariff framework. But avoiding steel tariffs would be a boon for the industry’s equipment manufacturers.
“Fitness equipment is essential to physical and mental health – not a national security risk,” HFA vice president of government affairs Mike Goscinski wrote in a note to the organization’s members this week. “HFA is standing up for the industry and working to ensure this harmful proposal is rejected.”
