Chairman, Chief Executive Officer & President, COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR CO
Not very confident IEEPA tariffs will be repaid: Columbia Sportswear CEO
Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle discusses tariffs, including $90 million paid and uncertainty about refunds, on 'The Claman Countdown.' #fox #media #us #usa #new #news #foxbusiness #columbiasportswear #business #economy #trade #tariffs #manufacturing #retail #global #markets #finance #supplychain #uncertainty #corporate #leadership #economicnews
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About Timothy Boyle
Timothy Boyle, chairman, CEO, and president of Columbia Sportswear, has recently spoken about the importance of retaining the Portland Trail Blazers NBA franchise. In July 2026, Boyle warned that losing the team would be "incredibly disappointing" and would diminish Portland's status as a world-class city. He argued that the Blazers' presence provides significant economic value to the city and urged that this value be calculated in negotiations over Moda Center renovations, whether through direct payments or in-kind contributions. Boyle has also discussed Columbia Sportswear's business climate and marketing strategy. In June 2026, he stated that Portland needs greater investment in public safety and a more competitive tax environment, saying the city currently lacks both. He noted that tariffs on imported footwear and apparel are damaging to the company's competitiveness. Regarding the company's brand, Boyle said that differentiation is essential in a crowded market and that the company aims to create an emotional connection with consumers by emphasizing fun in the outdoors.
Transcript (14 segments)
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Liz0:04
Fox Business alert: Under Armour stock is falling 17.5% to $5 after the company reported a wider-than-expected loss and issued weaker-than-expected full-year guidance, ranging from 140 to 160 million. That includes about 70 million in benefits from potential tariff refunds and roughly a 35 million dollar hit from the war in the Middle East. Columbia Sportswear, founded in 1938, is also facing conflicting tailwinds and headwinds because it sources much of its apparel in countries slapped by Trump tariffs. Joining us now, Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle.
On a day like today, where two things happened with tariffs: a U.S. appeals court allowed Donald Trump's 10% broad tariffs, from which you source your product, to stay under Section 122 until things work themselves out. The appeals court said they can stay for the moment, but the Court of International Trade said the tariffs are illegal. Is today a good day or a bad day? Or net-net neutral?
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Timothy Boyle1:38
I would say chaos is standard of the day. We're quite used to it. Our commodities have been tariffed really since the turn of the last century. We were at one time the 44th largest duty payer in the United States. We have teams of people here who do nothing but manage tariffs globally. We're quite adept at it. These times are chaotic. The Supreme Court ruling on IEEPA tariffs was six weeks ago. We still have not seen money back. We're not confident that we'll be repaid regardless of the court's ruling.
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Liz2:22
How much are you expecting? A refund?
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Timothy Boyle2:25
I think in total we paid in these onerous tariffs, those superseded normal tariffs, of 90 million so far. And you know, the expectation is that we'll get money back, but we have not added it to our financial statements yet.
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Liz2:48
So why is that? We know you said that the uncertainty is a killer. You have not added it to your statements yet. Do you think that investors should know what you are expecting, like worst-case thing?
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Timothy Boyle3:05
Well, we have been clear in our most recent earnings announcement. We said how we would approach moneys owed in tariffs that have been so far proven illegal. Investors know where we stand on that. The biggest issue is we have our distributors from around the world and our U.S. and North American sales employees in town to talk about beginning to sell spring 2027. And you know, we have an idea about what perhaps could be the pricing that we'll pay for tariffs, but we don't know. And the nature of how the tariffs have been applied makes planning difficult.
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Liz3:52
Well, the president is headed to China. I know you source from a lot of countries in Asia. I was looking at the list. I believe you source from Vietnam, China, Indonesia, all over. What would you hope comes out of this meeting in China between Xi Jinping and Trump?
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Timothy Boyle4:20
We have strategically removed our sourcing out of China. We have almost nothing that comes from China to the U.S. We have a big business in China, selling products in China. We make products in China for local consumption, also for distribution outside of the U.S. I hope we establish between the two countries a strategy where we could have confidence in what is going to be happening, and we'll be able to focus on the things that we can control: the kinds of products we make, designing great stuff, high performance, and some surety about what we're paying for those things. That is what I hope comes out of this. I am hopeful that it will. But you know, time will tell.
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Liz5:11
I am interested to know how the U.S. consumer is doing right now from your sales. What is happening? Are you seeing big purchases? Is it holding steady? Give us a sense.
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Timothy Boyle5:24
You know, for us to make announcements in a quarter where we're in a quiet period is difficult. I can tell you people are not used to paying 5 or 6 or 7 dollars a gallon for gas. That has to come from somewhere. You saw the announcement this morning from the CPI that inflation is up across the board. Consumers have other places to spend other than buying terrific apparel. Having that said, generally Americans, when they have a tight fiscal situation applied to them, they like to do stuff outdoors. They like to go fishing and hunting and hiking. Those activities are, you know, virtually free, and so people enjoy that. In our business, that has kept us fairly supported in times of difficult economics.
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Liz6:20
Before we go, want to talk about something that is fun to talk about. Your company releases all kinds of ads, like today with Robert Irwin. He is the son of Steve Irwin from Australia, who passed away. But you have him testing your product against 100 crocodiles?
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Timothy Boyle6:43
Well, if we had 105 we could get him. But his mother grew up in Oregon. She lived in Eugene, Oregon. We have photographs. He visited my mom, I want to say, when Robert was two years old. We have photographs of him and my mom and his mom at age 2. That put a deal together between his family and ours. A real joy watching him exercise crocodiles in our gear.
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Liz7:23
Yes, the crocodiles in air quotes. Thank you, Tim. Good to see you. Your mom, Gert, started an incredible company with your dad and really grew it. Amazing you still run it. We look forward to hearing good things from