American monument dealers have become accustomed to dealing with the rising cremation rates in the country and the dwindling sales opportunities for cemetery monuments that fact brings.

But now, according to this recent article from CNBC titled “An industry focused on death faces an existential crisis”, family-owned monument dealers have seen United States tariffs on certain imported products and countries cause havoc with their supply chain prices and choices.  Monument dealer John Dioguardi is quoted in the article saying, “I hope this all works out.  I have no idea if it will.”

A chart you can see in the article also poses the issue of how uncertainty reigns in much of the situation.  For instance, the chart shows that since January 25,2023, and up until October 27, 2025, family-owned and Cleveland-based Milano Monument’s custom duty and taxes on imported raw materials from China have fluctuated between 21% and 59% and rates in-between those two extremes.  Those duty or tariff percentages are added on to the wholesale cost of the imported material and then have to be figured into the price to charge consumers.

As you can well understand, the resulting higher retail cost of monuments then becomes a major decision for the consumer on what, or even if, they should buy a monument.  According to the article Milano Monuments’ Jim Milano states that “he and many peers are covering tariffs out of pocket” meaning that they have not passed on that cost to consumers in order to make sales.  He’s taken a pay cut as a result.

Furthermore, Milano makes this point, as quoted in the article, “If monument builders need to raise prices to account for tariffs, Milano worries it could push more consumers to opt for cremations.”

And while cremations and tariffs are a headwind for monument dealers at this time, monument company owner John Dioguardi, who we quoted earlier in this article, says the long-term fate of the business “is married in part to whether people want their loved ones to have any sort of memorialization”. 

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take:  While this article appears to be about tariffs and duties and the costs that they impart onto the retail sale of a monument for memorialization, I think there is a whole lot more to this article than that.

In the last few years I’ve taken the tact that “Death Care” really provides three distinct purchasable choices to the consumer for each death.  Those purchase choices are (1)Disposition, (2)Ceremony (or Celebration), and (3) Memorialization.

For the last 100 years or longer the vast majority of consumer spending on Death Care came from the “Disposition” category.  Because, if you chose “Burial” as the Disposition choice then the consumer purchased a traditional funeral the which included the professional services of the funeral director and merchandise such as a casket and vault.  The “Ceremony’ included the process to get the deceased, and purchased merchandise such as the casket and vault, from the funeral home into the ground, and in essence, was a part of the “Disposition” choice purchase.

Memorialization basically consisted of some type of monument marking the grave in the cemetery.  Some were elaborate, but most were purchased after death without much thought by the individual whose grave it marked.

Contrast that to today’s world where traditional funerals are minority of the dispositions.  Cremations are the vast majority of dispositions and, from my point of view, most consumers believe the process of cremation is a commodity.  Meaning. . that there loved one’s body goes to the crematory, they see none of the process, and they are handed a box of cremated remains.  The resulting “box of cremated remains” are the same (commodity) whether a direct cremation provider was selected or a high-priced luxury funeral home was used.

Most consumers do not expect to pay a high amount for this (cremation) disposition.

It’s also my opinion that today’s Death Care consumers will spend on the Ceremony (Celebration or Event) and a certain amount of Death Care clientele will make “Large sale” purchases of Memorialization products.  If you follow industry leader Service Corporation International (SCI) you will notice that for the past couple of years they have been much more aggressive going after what they call “Large sale cemetery sales”.  In their vernacular “Large Sales” means $80,000 or over.

And Global Growth Insights says this about “Large sale or Premium” Death Care sales:

The high-end and specialty funeral homes and services segment caters to a premium clientele that seeks exclusivity, personalization, and luxury in memorial arrangements. This niche but rapidly expanding category combines emotional value, heritage preservation, and sophisticated service design. In 2025, the luxury funeral segment accounts for nearly 7.5% of the total global funeral services market, valued at approximately USD $5.9 billion, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.8% during 2025–2033 — outpacing the broader market’s average growth of 3.39%.

High-end providers focus on creating unique, culturally tailored, and experience-driven memorials. These include private mausoleums, personalized life celebration ceremonies, high-end floral artistry, premium casket materials, and digital heritage archives. Many also integrate smart technology and sustainability — such as QR-enabled memorial stones, carbon-neutral cremations, and virtual remembrance spaces — blending tradition with innovation.

So, yes — I think consumers and what they want is going to change funeral service.  And, I can sympathisize with these monument dealers at this time with the uncertainty and cost of tariffs.  However, I also see an incredible opportunity for the high-end memorialization products.  I think that there is a void to be filled with those consumers who have the assets to spend on celebration and memorialization.

The trends show dispositions of cremation as more-than-likely without the purchase of caskets or vaults.  If that money is going to stay in “Death Care” it will probably find itself going into more elaborate “ceremonies or celebrations” and “permanent memorialization”.

Tom Ryan
SCI CEO

I think by being able to partner with cemeteries monument and columbarium suppliers may find a smaller number but more profitable clientele in those that are looking for luxury or psuedo-luxury memorialization products.  It might take some up-front investment and risk, but one might also find a “Build it and they will come” attitude for cremation memorialization in cemeteries.  Here’s what SCI CEO Thomas Ryan said as recently as October 30, 2025, during the company’s 3rd Quarter Earnings Call:

“We have a lot of products that I’d tell you, consumers really don’t have familiarity with. I think a lot of cremation consumers come in and don’t really understand what we have available. So we’re really focused this year with some consumer research that we’ve done about trying to tie that consumer in a better way to educate them about what we have because we found in the focus groups that almost 0 out of 10 knew what we had and about 8 out of 10 once they saw it said, I’m interested in looking.”

So, if I was a monument dealer, yes , I’d be a little discouraged about the cost of my product at this time. . . .and try to make the best of the situation.  But, I’d also find encouragement by what seems to be a growing “luxury” monument movement and the results SCI is having with their “Large sales” of cemetery products.

More news from the world of Death Care:

Enter your e-mail below to join the 3,201 others who receive Funeral Director Daily articles daily

“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”

Private Label Caskets Winding Down Operations Citing Tariffs and Volatility

In light of President Trump’s March 2025 tariffs on aluminum and steel and other economic concerns, Private Label Caskets has decided to cease operations as of December 31, 2025 after more than 17 years in business.

On October 20, 2025, Private Label customers received a memo explaining the decision. Citing “recent global economic volatility and newly imposed tariffs — especially those impacting imported steel, wood, and caskets,” the memo explains that “these conditions make it increasingly difficult to guarantee affordable, stable pricing and dependable supply.”

The memo, which is also posted to the company’s website, was accompanied by a “tariff free pricing” inventory list. Customers were encouraged to order a “larger supply” of the remaining inventory, adding that they will be supported by the company until this inventory is depleted.

A thoughtful, if difficult, decision

Monday’s memo, coupled with a July 2025 press release by Private Label Caskets, show that this decision was not made lightly or quickly. Although the company stated in July that they were “weathering the tariff rollercoaster after a record-setting 29% growth in 2024,” Private Label representatives were quite transparent in explaining the impact of tariffs over the past eight years.

Carlos Figueroa, of Private Label’s parent company Buchanan Group, stated in the July release that tariffs were first instituted in 2017 and have “multiplied” through the years, reaching up to 135% at one time. Figueroa added that the “big tariff shock hit” the company in May, leading Private Label to add a 30% surcharge to cover tariffs — only the third time in the company’s history that prices were raised. 

Even then, Private Label and Buchanan Group owner Bruce W. Buchanan openly explained that he understood the intended goal of tariffs, but hoped that caskets could be exempt.

“I appreciate what the president is trying to accomplish by levying tariffs,” said Buchanan in July. “There are key manufacturing sectors that should come back to the U.S., but I don’t believe that caskets are one of those. Funeral homes already operate at thin margins; we need whatever help we can get with the cost of products.”

Looking forward

Before reaching the conclusion to cease operations, Private Label explored other alternatives, including “nearshoring and U.S. sourcing” according to the memo, but determined that winding down was the “best path” for the company and its customers — and, ultimately, for the families they serve. 

The December wind-down may be a case of one door closing, but another opening, as Private Label leaders are actively seeking a “relationship with a domestic manufacturer.” 

This spring, multiple media outlets predicted the potential impact of Trump’s tariffs on funeral costs, shortly after the 25% tariff on imported steel and aluminum was announced on March 12. 

Wow!!  The middle of the month seems to have got here fast and with it comes our list of “Top Read” Funeral Director Daily articles over the past 30 days.

This month it looks like there is something for everybody’s interest.  Our top-rated articles cover subjects like revenue growth, potential casket tariffs, consumer perceptions on funeral pricing, the acquistion temperature, and even a story of cremated remains being held for ransom. . . .

If you missed these articles during the month, just click on them to catch up with the news. . . .and, thanks for reading Funeral Director Daily.  Thanks to you we continue to grow our readership and continue to offer the most timely business news and ideas in the profession. . . . Thanks again!!!!

BTW —- It will change minute by minute, but as I went to list the Top 5 read articles of the month (Wednesday), the top two were absolutely tied in monthly page views. . . .It is the first time I can remember that happening.  (Editor’s note:  By Thursday morning when I proof read the blogpost, the Trump Tariff article had jumped into the number one position with a 14 point advantage).

1. Trump’s tariffs and caskets.
2. A look at funeral industry revenues — some interesting observations
3. Acquisitions, mergers, and new owners seem to be the norm now in funeral services.
4. A perception that seems to be getting tougher to shake.
5. Cremated remains priceless?  These were ransomed for $2 million.

Funeral Director Daily publishes a minimum of 22 articles per month and receives between 17,000 and 20,000 page views (and growing) each month representing many industry leaders and local decision makers.  Thanks for reading!!!

Enter your e-mail below to join the 3,120 others who receive Funeral Director Daily articles daily:

“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”

The tariffs that President Trump put into effect this week seems to be the subject in every room that I step into.  We even talked about it at after church coffee on Sunday.  So, why not try to give some type of opinion on how those tariffs will affect the major manufactured product that funeral homes sell.

First of all, I don’t pretend to be an expert on the American casket industry or where each company may manufacture the caskets or components of caskets.  I also am not privy to the exact regulations of the imposed tariffs and if there is “carve outs” or additional fees on these products.

So, knowing that I don’t have all of the relavant information what I am going to try to do is simply give my opinions on what “could” happen.

Let’s start with a little history (and you can read more about “casket history” in the USA by clicking on this article from the Casket & Funeral Supply Association of America).

When I started in the funeral home business in 1980 I had several different companies that I could buy caskets from.  There were regional casket manufacturers and at least three large national brands — Batesville, Aurora, and Amedco.  Over the years lots of those regional manufacturers have disappeared and there are less casket companies to choose from.

To that point, a 2019 article from The Hustle states that 82% of all caskets purchased in America come from only two companies — Batesville and Matthews Aurora.

And, since my funeral career beginning in 1980 there has also been a transformation of where caskets are manufactured.  I’m pretty sure that almost all U.S. used caskets in 1980 were manufactured in the USA give or take a small percentage that were imported by Canadian companies.  But, like other manufacturing companies domiciled in America, it is believed that some casket manufacturers have moved at least some of their manufacturing plants to locales of lower cost production.  Those lower cost facilities have, in President Trump’s view, allowed for lower priced consumer purchases but have also taken away American manufacture worker jobs.  Manufacturers that may be located in Mexico, Canada, or China may now face the tariffs that are being imposed.

So, What will happen —  If there is a tariff placed on caskets from those aforementioned countries, the cost of landing that completed casket in America will go up.  The company still has its production costs and now there will be a fee, or tariff, for access to the American consumer.  There is no getting around that it will be more costly for that manufacturer to land their product in American showrooms.

The casket company will have a choice to make. . . . Will they absorb that “tariff” cost in which case their profits will be lessened or will they pass on that cost and risk losing the customer to a lower priced, and in President Trump’s view, made in America manufacturer?

An interesting story on what happened last time — This article was published on February 4, 2025, when the first announcements of possible tariffs surfaced.  It’s titled “What happened the last time Trump imposed tariffs”.

The article tells of President Trumps 2018 tariffs against low priced washers and dryers manufactured in South Korea.  Here’s what the article says of the prices of those products by the time the tariffs expired in 2023:

“After the tariffs were imposed, washing machine prices fluctuated from month to month but took an overall upward trend. By February 2023, when the protections expired, prices for laundry equipment (washers and dryers) were up 34% compared to the same time in 2018, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over the same period, prices for all consumer products were up 21%, according to the Consumer Price Index.”

The South Korean companies, according to the article, built manufacturing facilities in the United States.  But, according to at least one study, here was an overall result:

“And just as tariff proponents had wanted, some companies moved their washer production to the U.S. to get around the tariff. Notably, LG and Samsung both set up factories in America. The University of Chicago economists estimated the tariff policy had created roughly 2,000 jobs in the U.S.

But those jobs came at a cost.

For every new job created, consumers paid $820,000 in inflated appliance costs, the Chicago researchers estimated.”

On the other hand. . . those factories and jobs are here to stay.

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take:  Don’t shoot the messenger.  The above article is how I see the tariffs on casket companies and what might be a possible outcome as measured by the experience in the white goods industry.

I do have one big fear for our industry/profession.  That fear is that anything that raises the price of traditional casketed burials will, in my opinion, increase the propensity to a choice of cremation for the consumer.  Wholesale casket prices going up 10 or 20% because of tariffs may turn that fear into reality.  Again, in my opinion, there is enough challenges in keeping the “traditional burial” consumer already without an increase in casket prices.

Funeral “type choice” is not a decision made in a vacuum by the consumer.  The cost of the “choice”, in my opinion is factored into the choice by the consumer.  Again, in my opinion, anything that causes caskets to go up in price will not be good for traditional funeral homes.

A quicker descent of “casket using” consumers is something that many funeral homes could not absorb without financial consequences.

What is President Trump’s strategy?  — Personally I try to get inside President Trump’s head and see what he is thinking.  I think he sees the trade deficit America has with many countries and is looking for a better deal than we have presently. . . . not necessarily the proposals he has thrown out there.

My take is that he is negotiating and hoping that he can get tariffs lowered on American products sold in some overseas markets while at the same time raising “some” tariffs on products coming into the United States from selected countries.  Again, I’m not privy to any of the discussions, but it seems to me that everything is up for negotiations at this time.

But, I also think he is serious about bringing certain manufacturing capabilites back inside the United States — especially for national defense purposes.  I truly think there are industries that he wants to bring back to the United States — and, I’m also guessing caskets have not crossed his mind.

Related Article. . .There is a long history.  “The Tariff act of 1789”  (Wikipedia)was the first major act of American legislation.  It raised tax revenue to pay for the debt incurred during the Revolutionary War and it helped develop and protect fledgling American manufacturers.

Related Article — The 7 best casket companies and casket manufacturers.  2023 date – from Gather Blog

Related Article — Can Trump win the tariff wars?  Unherd

More news from the world of Death Care:

Enter your e-mail below to join the 3,120 others who receive Funeral Director Daily articles daily:

“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”

Funny how 28 hours alone in a car gives you plenty of time to think about things you probably would not think about otherwise. . . . I arrived home in Minnesota on Monday after spending Saturday, Sunday, and part of Monday returning from our winter rental home in Southwest Florida.

You might find this odd, but I actually enjoy the three days — I drop Angie off at the Fort Myers airport on Friday and she flies home. . . I then leave our rental unit bright and early on Saturday morning to drive our car back to Minnesota.  We’ve done this for five years now. . . and it works for us.

Luckily my car, actually an SUV has Sirius XM radio and I have the opportunity to listen to about 150 different stations over the 28-hour drive period.  This year I got tons of information on the NCAA basketball tournament, learned alot about NFL free agency and the upcoming draft, and enjoyed listening to experts on business and government/political related stations as well.

That leads me into a discussion of the title of today’s column.  The government/political stations talked a lot about potential tariffs.  It was interesting to hear some philosophical arguments about what happens to business if/when tariffs are implemented.  I would argue that the consensus of “experts” proclaimed that tariffs would hurt large companies that trade internationally and also small companies because increasing inflation may be a collateral side effect of tariffs and small companies are, according to the experts, hurt more by inflation.

What I came to understand is that the companies in the United States termed “Mid-Cap” companies would probably benefit the most or be hurt the least.  Reasoning being is that while large companies have an international headwind and small companies battle inflation, many investors will turn their attention to inside the United States and support these companies. . . . . Much of that support, it was purported, would come from Private Equity that would look to invest inside the United States rather than look internationally.

Here’s a couple of recent articles that I found about that theoretical situation:

What might this mean for Death Care? —  When I heard this concept, as I usually do I tried to understand how it will affect us in Death Care.  One thought that I have is that I know many “acquisition companies” use private equity to help them in the financial aspects of their acquisitions.

If private equity turns “inward” it may mean that there will be more resources available for the acquisition of funeral homes and/or cemeteries.  And, if there is more cash available, that may mean that for “desireable” funeral homes and cemeteries there could be a competition to purchase them which might, theoreticaly, raise the sale price.

I don’t know. . . just one thought.

Do funeral homes still have a “Wide Moat”?  —  Kind of going hand-in-hand with the thought of paying a high price to acquire a funeral home acquisition companies need to be sure that the acquired funeral home has a “Wide-Moat”.  In a business context here is how that term is defined:

“. . . . a “moat” refers to a sustainable competitive advantage that protects a company’s profits and market share from competitors and external threats.” 

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Traditional funeral homes have historically had this “wide-moat” in their communities.  What widens that moat is that the existing business usually has a strong history, a building that would be expensive to duplicate, professional staff known in the community, and a book of pre-arrangments in its file for future business.

In addition, ownership and staffing professionals, in most states, need a license to be able to conduct much of the work that funeral homes take part in.  The time and expenses to obtain that license turns out to be a moat for others wanting to come into the business as well.

A new business to compete with that business would have to make an investment in a facility, find “licensed” staff more than likely who will not be well known in the community, and have no existing pre-arrangements to build off.   As you can probably understand, penetrating the “moat” of the established business may take years and result in financial losses before any gains.

My question here, is “With the changing face of funeral service, is the moat getting narrower“?  For instance, can cremation providers operate out of a leased strip-mall?  Can social media and online arrangements take the place of well-known staff?  Can renting event centers for celebrations or services compete with a well-appointed traditional funeral home? Is licensed staff necessary for all aspects of Death Care anymore?

I don’t have the answers to those questions, but I believe they are being asked by many in today’s Death Care world.  I would guess that there is no doubt that the “wider moat” that you have, the more your funeral home will be worth.

It is interesting to note that the S&P 500 has had an incredible run over the past 10 years gaining 235% in that time — an average of 23.5% increase per year.  However, an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) that invests only in what it considers “Wide-Moat” companies has done even better in that time period gaining 240%.  That wide-moat fund trades under the stock symbol “MOAT”.

Successful funeral home/cemetery acquisition companies have known about the “Wide-moat” theory for a long time.  However, I’m wondering if those companies still see the local family funeral home as being “Wide-moat”. . . . . .

More news from the world of Death Care:

Enter your e-mail below to join the 3,120 others who receive Funeral Director Daily articles daily:

“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”

It’s the middle of the month and here at Funeral Director Daily we always take that time to re-cap our most read articles of the past 30 days.  As usual, those articles don’t seem to take any one subject into consideration and this month our Top 3 articles deal with the Trump tariffs and if they will affect casket prices, January acquisitions by regional and national operators, and introducing a new leader named at Foundation Partners Group.

In case you missed one or more of the articles. . . Here they are:

1. The Trump tariffs and Death Care.
2. Newcomer Funeral Service adds locations in New York and Indiana
3. Foundation Partners Group names John D. Smith as new CEO
4. North Carolina floods, Florida hurricanes, and L.A. wildfires:  The tragedy of losing “kept at home” cremated remains.
5. Funeral homes receive rare “Letters of Assurance” from public authorities.

Enter your e-mail below to join the 3,120 others who receive Funeral Director Daily articles daily:

“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”

This morning I read the edition of “Wall Street Breakfast” from Seeking Alpha and it gave very good information on the pros and cons of the “Trump Tariffs”.  Since I wrote on the that issue and its possible effects on the Death Care profession/industry in this morning’s edition, I thought I would send this quotation from Wall Street Breakfast out since it gives such good information on the issue.

There is no doubt that there will be some effect on American business because of this decision.  It’s up to all of us to understand how it will effect our own businesses and then make our adjustments accordingly.  One good thing I foresee is that I believe that tariffs will have less effect on Death Care than many other businesses. .

Here’s a portion of the Wall Street Breakfast explanation:

Stock futures are sliding, the dollar is surging, crypto is tumbling, and oil is on the rise, after President Trump imposed his long-promised tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China. Markets don’t like uncertainty, or the retaliation, especially when it’s likely to be the first of many such actions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. . . . . .

The case for tariffs:Trump believes that first shots were fired long ago, with Mexico and Canada not cracking down on migration and allowing fentanyl to pass through their borders, as well as “ripping off” the U.S. with trade deficits and restricting the flow of American products into their countries. He also maintains that the nations have the lower hand in any negotiations, with the U.S. having all the resources it needs, like “unlimited energy” and “more lumber than we can ever use.” The end goal of the tariffs is for companies to make their “product in the USA,” and the return of a tariff-driven federal revenue model, which “should have never ended, in favor of the Income Tax System, in 1913.”

“WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN? YES, MAYBE (AND MAYBE NOT!),” Trump wrote on Truth Social over the weekend. “BUT WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, AND IT WILL ALL BE WORTH THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID. WE ARE A COUNTRY THAT IS NOW BEING RUN WITH COMMON SENSE – AND THE RESULTS WILL BE SPECTACULAR!!!”

The case against tariffs: The levies can mean higher costs for necessary imports, risking elevated prices for American consumers. If not universal, tariffs can also be avoided by having goods transported through third-party countries, or by companies creating alternative supply chains (like what happened in Vietnam after Chinese tariffs were first imposed in 2018). Protectionism and the limiting of foreign competition also mean more government involvement to ensure sufficient domestic competition to prevent complacent corporate behavior or monopolistic practices.

Enter your e-mail below to join the 3,120 others who receive Funeral Director Daily articles daily:

“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”

The International Trade Association defines tariffs as such:  “A tariff or duty (the words are used interchangeably) is a tax levied by governments on the value including freight and insurance of imported products. Different tariffs applied on different products by different countries.”

I’m writing this on Saturday morning and the “Trump tariffs” are supposed to be imposed on certain imports from Mexico, Canada, and China today.  How might that affect Death Care?

It’s easy to see why countries want to sell their products in the United States.  Democracy and free enterprise have made the United States  arguably the nation with over 300 million consumers who have the most spendable income in the world.  The “consumers with spendable income” is the prize.

It’s a little like the Willie Sutton story.  Sutton, when asked why he robbed banks said, “That’s where the money is”.  Manufacturers of products from all over the world would say the same thing about selling their wares in America, “That’s where the consumers are”.  It’s easy to see why others want to have their products available for sale in America.

So let’s look at a basic reality of purchasing by consumers.  Let’s assume a “Widget” is built in some Far Eastern country for $20 and it costs $5 dollars to bring that product to the United States . . . that’s a total cost of landed product in the US of $25.  Let’s also assume that that “Widget” can be manufactured in America for $30 — the additional cost being the higher wages and First World level of benefits to employees. . . . pay and benefits that give America those “consumers with spendable income”.

In our example the foreign (low cost producing) nation lands their “Widget” in the US for $25 and the US manufacturing firm, paying better wages and benefits completes their “Widget” for $30.  Let’s also assume that each company needs a $20 margin on their product to operate their business.  That gives the foreign manufacturer a $45 price tag and the American manufacturer a $50 price tag.

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

President Trump has said he wants a 25% tariff on products coming from Mexico and Canada and a 10% additional tariff on products currently coming from China.  That tariff (or tax) will be paid to the United States government adding to our revenues.  And, on $25 that 25% tariff would equate to $6.25 making the final, taxed, cost of landing “that fictional Widget” in the United States $31.25.  Again, assuming that $20 margin, the final retail cost would be $51.25. . . .more than the comparable American product at $50.

The final theory being that that retail cost would not only allow for tax revenue to flow to the U.S., but it should make American products be the product of choice more often because of the closer price proximity to the foreign product.  And, more American products being bought will give more American workers jobs and be good for America.

The downside, however, is that American consumers no longer have access to that “low-cost” product from a foreign country because its price has went up due to the tariff.  And, that is generally considered a negative for the American consumer.

Another downside, of course, is that American manufacturers want to sell their products in other countries around the world.  And, those countries have the ability to put tariffs on American-made imported products.

Of course, President Trump has a firm belief that those tariffs on America products is already being done and American manufacturers are being taken advantage of and being charged these tariffs.  Part of his logic on tariffs is “What is good for the goose is good for the gander”.   However, many see President Trump’s viewpoint on that particular fairness issue as not totally correct.

What about Death Care:  A large portion of Death Care revenue is “Services” and not merchandise.  In a world of tariffs that’s a good thing for Death Care.  However in checking, and I will not call out individual companies, but it appears that some major distributors of caskets in America either manufacture or purchase for distribution caskets built in whole or in part in Mexico, Canada, and/or China.

So, one would expect, unless there is a carve-out for Death Care products, those caskets made in Mexico and Canada to have this tariff of 25% put on them and for caskets coming from China, one would expect President Trump’s tariffs to add 10% to those units.

In my way of thinking, this is just another reason why true service charges should be increased, set, and priced and the price of products that are sold by Death Care providers,such as caskets, should be at or near cost with little mark-ups.  It was back in the late 1980’s or early 1990’s that my funeral home greatly raised our service charges and set our casket prices at the actual wholesale cost.  It was a decision that greatly increased our profitability.

Related — Tariffs helped build the United States of America — Most people don’t know but the Tariff Act of 1789 was the first major piece of legislation passed by Congress after the ratification of the United States Constitution.

The Tariff Act of 1789 — Wikipedia

From this passage of the Wikipedia insert you realize that some of the same arguments are made by some of the same consituencies in the arguments as today.  i.e. tax revenue, American manufacturing and industry, consumer costs, and fairness. . .

“The debates over the purpose of the tariff exposed the sectional interests at stake: Northern manufacturers favored high duties to protect industry; Southern planters desired a low tariff that would foster cheap consumer imports. Ultimately, (Congressman and future President James) Madison navigated the tariff to passage, but he was unable to include a provision in the final bill that would have discriminated against British imports. After passing both houses of Congress, President Washington signed the act in law on July 6, 1789 when they used it to pay off the US war debt.”

More news from the world of Death Care:

Enter your e-mail below to join the 3,120 others who receive Funeral Director Daily articles daily:

“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”