The U.S. Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, has launched a Section 301 investigation into 60 countries to determine if forced labor practices create unfair trade advantages. This move follows President Trump’s continued push for sweeping tariffs after previous attempts were struck down by the Supreme Court. Major art organizations, including the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) and Heritage Auctions, are formally petitioning for works of art and antiquities to be exempt from any resulting duties.
The art world argues that tariffs on cultural objects would fail to address trade imbalances while severely damaging the American art market. Industry leaders contend that art is not a mass-produced manufactured good and that imposing import costs would discourage international collectors from selling in the U.S., ultimately ceding the country's status as the global hub for art trade to foreign competitors.