I n the two months since we all gathered in Anaheim, California, for The 2026 NAMM Show, the world around us has changed quite a bit. One month after the show began, the Supreme Court struck down President Trump’s 2025 tariffs, ruling that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not authorize the president to impose tariffs. Despite that decision, Trump announced a new 15% tariff. As of our press date, those tariffs have yet to take effect. (For more on the tariffs news, and reaction from the MI industry, turn to page 15.) After the news broke, response from across the MI industry began to PERSPECTIVE I BY KATIE KAILUS ONLY CONSTANT IS CHANGE
trickle in, including from Jerry Goldenson, president of KHS America, which manufac- tures some of its lines in China and Taiwan. “The recent Supreme Court ruling repre- sents an important victory, but not because it immediately eliminated the IEEPA tar- iffs, but because it reaffirms a fundamen- tal principle that the rule of law matters,” Goldenson said. “In today’s uncertain cli- mate, that affirmation carries significant weight. The administration retains other statutory avenues to impose import taxes or trade restrictions, with costs that ultimately reach U.S. businesses and consumers. It’s this continued uncertainty that challenges short- and long-term planning across our industry. We must continue to navigate
volatility with resilience, discipline and strategic adaptability.” Then, a little over a week later, the U.S. and Israel launched joint air- strikes on Iran, kicking off what is now being labeled the “Iran War.” Fuel prices have already risen, and the trickle-down effect from these higher fuel prices will no doubt hit groceries — as farming depends heavily on fuel and fertilizers — as well as airline fares, which are also sensitive to fuel costs. These rises in everyday essentials will create more competition for cus- tomers’ dollars — a situation MI retailers unfortunately know all too well. It’s moments like these that remind us that the only constant is change. And perhaps no one said that better than Kathy Reilly, owner of Vermont Violins in South Burlington, Vermont, in this month’s Ask the Retailer col- umn on page 66. When asked what her biggest takeaway was from attending The 2026 NAMM Show, Reilly shared that, for her, this year’s focus was on adaptation to a changing world. “Everyone in the MI industry experienced massive disruption in 2025 and, while it at times feels scary and overwhelming, NAMM reminded me that the existence of change is the only constant in our world,” Reilly said. “Tariffs, AI, post-COVID shopping patterns and all the new technologies we’re introduced to require shops to pivot: both online and in-store.” Take a page out of Reilly’s playbook and be ready to pivot. Head-in-the- sand retailing doesn’t work in times of change and uncertainty. Keep an ear to the ground and an eye on Music Inc. in the coming months for the latest best practices on navigating these uncertain times. MI
8 I MUSIC INC. I APRIL 2026
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