Tariffs On Antiques As We Know Part 2 1/2

I started writing a substack the other morning, but by the time I arrived home in the afternoon from an antiquing tour with plans to proof read, find a photo to use, the rules had changed. So let´s consider this post ¨ Tariffs on Antiques 2 1/2 - As We Know It¨ Today is 12 April, 2025 at 8.25am Italian time.

I am at the Chianti Club House with clients. My clients husband has been taking daily restoration courses with Laura while Martha shops with me.

Martha like a lot of my clients, is the one teaching me. She specializes in porcelain and ceramics and its not my area of specialities. I have been taking her to a variety of sources from good, better, best, or which could be categorized as $, $$, $$$ and letting her find her place in the market.

Just like with a wine tasting you need to taste a variety of wines to know which one suits your palette.

Through her I am learning to identify new marks - I have a small scale crush on ceramics from Bassano. I am leaning whats unusual and what is positiviely pedestrian in the porcelain. And confession. I watched M totally get her freak on over Ginorio porcelain so thin so thin you can practically see through it.

But the tariffs… back to the tariffs…

At the moment there is a 90-day pause on the application of reciprocal tariffs , effective immediately.

In other words, the country-specific surcharges , planned from April 9, 2025 are temporarily suspended.

The 10% basic customs duty applied to all imports since April 5 remains in force.

Imports from China have a tariff at a rate of 125%.

Remember you are not just buying from Italy… You have to mark the country of origin, so if the item originated in China, but is being sold in Italy, 125% would apply.

As for whats next? Your guess is as good as mine. I have spent the better part of the last week strategizing with clients to find shipping plans that work best for them.

We are organizing storage services (for free when possible) for those clients who want to buy items and wait this thing out.

We also have pushed the pedal to the metal helping clients get inventory out faster than normal in an attempt to rush this through.

What we do know is that before the tarriff exemptions were made - we had our first container departing within days of the announcment and the container was delayed/held back because tariffs were required TO BE PAID BEFORE IT LEFT PORT in UK, not upon arrival in to the USA.

For cash flow planning as an antiques dealer you will want to think of the timing of when tariffs will need to be paid IF they need to be paid. Fortunately for our client, they were waived due to the exemption and the container has a new sail date.

As we have been strategizing with clients again I keep coming back to that place of CALM.

Changes on tariffs is happening faster than we can react and put plans in place. Unexpected rapid change seems to be the M.O. of the President. It is hard to strategize a rapidly moving target.

The rule applies from my first post on this subject - Keep Calm, and Keep Antiquing

There are a few things you can do.

Keep Good Records. While antiques currently fall under the universal tariffs, there is lots of talk about how Chapter 97 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule will be considered. According to preliminary statements, Convelio, a Fine Art Transporter located in Paris, believes the exemption for informal materials could remain applicable on certain works of art.

To get going - when Buying Abroad you need to clearly mark the country of origin. Convelio further urges that buyers be as precise as possible using, art-centered vocabulary. If the artwork is original, avoid using terminology in the description that might imply functionality, which could lead to confusion about its nature. Instead, use terms like "original artwork," "sculpture," or "painting," and, if relevant, briefly describe its artistic or conceptual intent. Confirm authenticity and edition Mention that the work is signed, unique, or from a limited edition.

MAKE IT CLEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING IS NOT AN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION.

Even with complete documentation, tariff classification remains at the discretion of U.S. customs authorities. However, careful preparation greatly increases the chances of proper recognition of art.

Lastly, Speak Up. DeMontaigudesigns on Instagram has started a petition with an open letter to congress and President Trump asking them to Continue to Allow Antiques to Enter the United States Tariff Free. You can send her a DM asking to be added to the petition with
- your name
- business name
- and the countries you import from.

Antiques have been allowed to enter the United States for almost a century duty free - as they contribute to cultural devlopment of the arts in the United States.

DeMontaigue Desisngs letter states:

¨The undersigned small businesses write to express grave concerns that those importing antiques may mistakenly incur tariffs under President Trump's Executive Order Regulating Imports with a Reciprocal Tariff to Rectify Trade Practices that Contribute to Large and Persistent Annual United States Goods Trade Deficits

(EO 14257), signed on April 2, 2025.

It is widely held that the beauty of antiques are found in their age and the unique craftsmanship used by artisans long ago. However, antiques are not only unique in their beauty and craftsmanship but also, for the purposes of protecting a domestic industry, have no traditional counterpart to compete with and harm.

For that reason and others, antiques have generally been allowed to enter the U.S. on a duty-free basis for almost a century:' The tariff exemption for antiques over 100 years old was first allowed under the otherwise protectionist Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930,2 then under the Tariff Act of 1966,3 codifying the UNESCO Florence Agreement. ' Further, Customs and Border Protection issued an article last year stating "antiques classified under Chapter 9706 in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) are duty-free, provided the importer has proof of the goods age."

The tariffs on antiques could also cause adverse economic impacts on downstream businesses such as authenticators, restoration professionals, interior designers, auction houses, and shippers. According to Statista, "in 2023, the United States represented approximately a third of the value of art and antiques imports worldwide...constantly accounting) for the highest share of the global value from art and antiques imports."

Congress and the Administration should protect America's competitive position, not harm it.Given the unique nature of the commodity and the associated industry, diverging from almost a century of law and practice by imposing tariffs on antique goods would only harm American businesses while providing a competitive advantage to foreign dealers. It is for the reasons highlighted above that the undersigned respectfully argue that antique goods classified under HTS Code 9706 should continue to enter duty-free.¨

Keep Calm Keep Antiquing,
Toma