Import tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, that took effect October 14, are reportedly causing unintentional harm to the international trade of antiques and decorative arts.
The executive order signed on September 29 aimed to support domestic manufacturers by placing 25 percent tariffs on wood imports and products such as upholstered furniture and kitchen cabinets. Imported softwood timber and lumber will see an increase of 10 percent due to the tariffs, while upholstered wooden products like as couches and chairs will have a 25 percent increase. Imports on kitchen cabinets and the parts used to assemble them have also been raised by 25 percent per order.
On January 1, 2026, these tariffs will increase further, with upholstered furniture raising to 30 percent and kitchen cabinets, units, and associated parts raising to 50 percent.
While painting, sculpture, and fine art media are exempt from these tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a number of other collectibles and luxury goods such as watches, wine, furniture, and classic cars do not fall under the same protection.
“I understand the objective is to assist North Carolina manufacturers,” Millicent Ford Creech, a dealer of antique American and European furniture based in Memphis, Tennessee, told the Art Newspaper, noting that tariffs on Ikea products might be reasonable. “However, most of my clients want furniture prior to 1800; the majority of those preferring pre-1770.”
These additional costs are largely being absorbed by companies and with constant fluctuations, can be difficult to predict, with many like the shipper Convelio offering guidelines on how to combat this rise in cost.
“When I ask my shipper in the UK, ‘What is this going to cost me to ship to New York,’ he tells me that he doesn’t know,” New York–based antiques dealer Michael Pashby also told The Art Newspaper. “It may be one rate when he leaves port and another when he reaches the US.”
While the full effect of the tariffs remains to be seen, their legality will be assessed today in the Supreme Court. The judicial body will decide whether the tariffs are unconstitutional and if deemed so, if Trump has exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
