How Trump's New Tariffs Could Increase Nike & Adidas Football Kit Prices in the USA
Apr 8, 2025, by Chris
- New Tariffs Impact: New tariffs on goods from countries like Vietnam and China, where Nike and Adidas manufacture heavily, could increase football kit prices in the USA.
- Production Costs and Potential Price Increase: Despite low production costs for jerseys, high import duties ranging from 32% to 54%, especially from Vietnam (where 50% of Nike's footwear is made), could lead to a $5 to $15 increase in the price of a soccer jersey.
- Limited Options for Brands: Relocating production to the USA isn't feasible due to higher labor costs, meaning brands might absorb the tariffs or pass them on to consumers, but it won't bring jobs back to the USA.
The world faces significant disruption after President Trump's newly announced tariffs on almost all countries. The new tariffs, if they stay in place, will also affect the football market, with Asian countries particularly hit by high tariffs.
Fortunately for Nike, the production costs for a soccer jersey are low - import duties are only levied on the import price
Goods from Vietnam, Indonesia, and China face some of the highest import taxes in the US, ranging from 32% to 54%. Nike's shares dropped 14% the day after the tariff announcement, as concerns grew regarding the potential impact on the company's supply chain.
How the USA's New Tariffs Could Affect Football Kit Prices in the USA
Vietnam has emerged as a key manufacturing center in recent years, with many companies having shifted production there from China during the previous round of tariffs in 2018. Vietnam manufactures 50% of Nike's footwear and a substantial portion of Adidas products, so the new 46% import duty could dramatically impact production costs and retail prices.
For football fans in the United States, this could translate to significant increases in the retail prices of both replica and authentic kits. Luckily for brands, a football kit is cheap to produce (we assume 10-15 USD - it might be a bit lower in reality), meaning that the total amount of tariffs is not as high as the final retail price of 95-170 USD suggests.
We could see price increases for a soccer jersey of around 5 to 15 USD
It is unclear how brands will react to the tariffs once they are active. It does not affect products that are already in the USA, so the current stock does not need to be increased in price. If Nike passes through 100% of the extra tariffs, we see price increases for a soccer jersey of around 5 to 15 USD.
For Nike and other brands, relocating part of the production to the USA makes no sense, as the significantly higher salaries in the USA would render any products made there much more expensive than the additional tariffs would. Ultimately, at least for the football market in the United States, the tariffs will simply serve as a tax increase but will certainly not bring any jobs back to the USA.
For football supporters from the USA, these developments could mean paying more for their favorite club and national team kits in the coming seasons.
Nike employs nearly 460,000 workers (39% of Nike's global workforce) in Vietnam. This contrasts dramatically with Nike's US operations, which include just about 4,100 workers. 1% of those in Vietnam.
Do you think Adidas and Nike will increase prices in the USA soon? Let us know in the comments below.
Grimsby Town 26-27 Third Kit Released
Grimsby Town and technical partner Lotto have officially revealed the club's new 26-27 third kit. Following the previous releases of their home and away strips, the new design draws inspiration from the earliest days of the Mariners playing at Blundell Park, combining a rich brown base with light blue and white accents.
The Grimsby Town 26-27 third jersey is predominantly brown, featuring a broad white chest band bordered by a thin sky blue line. The kit showcases an all-over sublimated diamond pattern across the body, with matching white and sky blue trim along the collar and sleeve cuffs. A monochrome white club crest sits on the chest, while a fisherman illustration is printed on the upper back as a sign-off detail.
Matching brown shorts and socks complete the full uniform for the Mariners. The new Lotto Grimsby Town 26-27 third strip will be available to purchase in-store from Friday, August 7, with online sales opening on Monday, August 10.
US Thionville Lusitanos 26-27 Home & Away Kits Released
French club US Thionville Lusitanos has officially unveiled its new home and away kits for the 26-27 season, made in collaboration with Kappa. The new collection draws direct inspiration from the history, architecture, and soul of the city of Thionville. The reveal shoot took place at the historic Tour aux Puces, emphasizing the deep connection between the club and its local heritage.
The 26-27 home kit features a sky blue base with white trim along the collar and sleeve cuffs, complemented by custom graphic artwork along the lower hem depicting local landmarks and symbols. The away shirt shares the same design blueprint, opting for a clean light grey base paired with white accents and tonal architectural patterns near the bottom. Both shirts feature crewneck collars and host a range of local club sponsors.
The new Kappa US Thionville Lusitanos 26-27 home and away jerseys will be available to purchase starting August 14, 2026.
Oliver Baumann Slams FIFA Over World Cup Jersey Badge
Germany goalkeeper Oliver Baumann has publicly spoken out against FIFA's commercialization, pointing to a controversial practice involving temporary kit badges at the 2026 World Cup. In a recent interview with BILD, the goalkeeper criticized what German media have dubbed "Trikot Gate," shedding light on how players' match jerseys were handled for profit behind the scenes.
According to Baumann, FIFA applied special commemorative patches to player shirts before matches, labeling players with titles like "Legacy" or "Debutant." However, immediately after matches, staff entered the dressing room to peel those badges off the jerseys. Frustrated by the process, Baumann stated that players just wanted to keep their authentic kits intact rather than having them stripped.
Baumann did not play a match in the 2026 World Cup. Those badges are removed from the kits to be later part of trading cards, as part of a deal with Topps. However, it remains to be seen if badges of players who finally did not make a debut will be made into cards, or if it was just removed because of the streamlined process.
The goalkeeper appealed to governing bodies to prioritize the sport itself over endless commercial initiatives. Baumann warned that excessive commercialization, from stripped kit patches to unnecessary breaks, threatens to alienate fans and players who care about the tradition and passion of football.
Mohamed Salah Takes Number 10 Shirt at Trabzonspor
Mohamed Salah has officially completed his move to Turkish side Trabzonspor after leaving Liverpool. Following his arrival, the Egyptian superstar has been assigned the club's number 10 shirt for the 26-27 season. The Turkish club had initially prepared the number 11 jersey, the same squad number Salah wore during his iconic stint at Anfield, but the winger requested number 10 instead to match his shirt number with the Egypt national team.
To accommodate the request, Trabzonspor player Ernest Muçi, who previously held the number 10 jersey, agreed to give up the squad number out of respect for his new teammate. During his arrival flight to Turkey, Salah was seen wearing a presentation kit featuring number 61. The number 61 holds special cultural significance in Trabzon, representing the province's vehicle code and a tradition celebrated by supporters in the 61st minute of matches.
Salah has signed a two-year deal with Trabzonspor, and his official number 10 kit is now available as the club prepares for the upcoming season.