September 18, 2026 NAMM Tariff Webinar

Moderator: Claire Kreger-Boaz - Associate Director of Public Policy, NAMM

Guest Speakers

Chris Cushing —  Government Relations Group Leader, Managing Principal, Washington, D.C., Nelson Mullins

Cullen Hendrix — Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics

Dan Anthony — President, Trade Partnership Worldwide / We Pay the Tariffs

Summary

This webinar centered on the newly passed Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, which gives the President broad authority to impose steep secondary tariffs on countries that continue purchasing Russian energy, along with even steeper tariffs on Russian goods directly. Because so much of the U.S. musical instrument supply chain runs through countries that could be affected, panelists warned that stacking these new measures on top of existing trade tariffs could push costs significantly higher, with student and entry-level instruments likely to feel the impact first. Import volumes in some instrument categories have already softened under current tariff pressure. The discussion also touched on how other major trading partners are being squeezed by related energy-linked tariff actions. The session closed with a reminder to engage elected officials ahead of the midterms and to stay on top of supply-chain exposure.