Vinyl records, CDs and cassettes will remain exempt from tariff changes, US Customs confirms
While de minimis exemptions will remain in place for physical music, other merchandise will now subjected to increased import taxes as part of US President Donald Trump's tariff changes.
Vinyl records, CDs, cassettes and other forms of recorded music will remain exempt from increased tariffs, the US Customs and Border Protection has confirmed.
US President Donald Trump's changes to tariffs have come into force today (August 29), with one of the changes being that "de minimis" goods imported to the US - or goods with a value of under $800 - will no longer be exempt from import taxes.
Countries are now subjected to different import taxes, depending on various deals that have been reached in the last few months; businesses in the UK will now have to pay around 10% of the product's value, while sellers in the EU will pay 15%.
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According to BBC News, the changes will also mean increased checks at the US border, which will likely cause delays in imports reaching customers; some retailers have already halted shipments to the US.
US Customs and Border Protections has confirmed today (August 29) that products which fall under the category of "informational materials" will remain exempt under de minimis rules - which should include physical music products, alongside books and zines.
However, other music merchandise - such as clothing and posters - will still be subject to import taxes, while increased border checks mean that even with the exemption, deliveries to the United States may still be significantly delayed.
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On Tuesday (August 27), Bandcamp published a set of guidelines for sellers to navigate the tariff changes, asking users to update their shipping costs to reflect the tax increase, and to use the correct HS codes on customs forms to ensure US-based customers can track their shipments.
Bandcamp encouraged sellers to use Direct Duty Paid (DDP) shipping, which means buyers pay "all taxes, import duties, and/or tariffs upon arrival", though it warned that due to US buyers not having paid tariffs before, failure to pay could result in "restricted or canceled" orders.
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UPS and FedEx already have a DDP option, though Royal Mail and other mail carriers have not yet implemented the service.
Discogs had similarly published a guide to the new tariffs, warning that confusion from US border forces at customs may still result in issues with physical music orders "as they adjust to the new requirements".
Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter.
