Proposed Brass Instrument Tariffs Follow Conn Selmer Plant Closure

August 31, 2026

The Department of Commerce has published a request for comment regarding imposing tariffs on “brass-wind instruments and their parts and accessories” along with other steel, aluminum, and copper products. This proposal is the direct result of Conn Selmer closing its Eastlake, Ohio, instrument manufacturing facility.

On June 30, Conn Selmer closed the plant that had served Northeast Ohio and musical communities across the nation for more than 60 years, eliminating nearly 150 union jobs in the process. Now, the company’s decision to offshore manufacturing to China threatens to harm the next generation of working musicians.

“For decades, corporations have chased maximum profit margins overseas,” says AFM International President Tino Gagliardi. “They have weakened domestic production and passed costs on to consumers. It’s time to bring high-quality instrument manufacturing back to the
United States—investing in American workers, supporting union jobs, and building reliable supply chains to keep prices down.

“Music participation is out of reach for far too many young people. With arts education funding constantly under attack, rising costs will take instruments out of the hands of students in schools across the country. We need more affordable instruments built with skilled union labor. We must keep music accessible and affordable for every person without abandoning our values.”