President Trump's tariff policies are causing significant disruption in the art shipping industry, despite artworks themselves remaining largely exempt from import taxes under U.S. law. While Section 1702(b) of the IEEPA protects artworks, books, and films from presidential trade restrictions, antiques and design objects are subject to a 10 percent universal tariff, creating confusion for customs officers. Meanwhile, changes to de minimis rules—lowering the threshold for formal customs processing from $2,500 to $800—have forced DHL to temporarily suspend certain shipments and caused multi-day delays. Smaller art dealers relying on global logistics firms are particularly affected, as bespoke fine-art shippers like Crozier, UOVO, and Cadogan Tate are often too expensive for lower-value works under $10,000.
This matters because the art market is highly globalized, with art shipments estimated to be worth at least $100 billion annually. Shipping costs already account for about 15 percent of galleries' external expenditures, and the sharpest increase has occurred in the past year, according to the latest Art Basel and UBS Art Market Report. The lack of a temporary admission scheme in the U.S.—unlike the U.K. or E.U.—means dealers importing works for fairs must pay duties upfront and reclaim them for unsold items, a process that has become "significantly more difficult" for antiquities and design dealers. The ongoing tariff turmoil threatens to raise costs further, strain smaller galleries, and disrupt the flow of art across borders.