Fewer fake firs, higher prices: China tariff delay does little to save the holidays

Source: Reuters

August 18, 2025 6:52 AM EDT Updated 4 hours ago


NEW YORK/SHANGHAI, Aug 18 (Reuters) - U.S. shoppers looking for fake Christmas trees and holiday decor this year will have fewer choices and face higher prices as tariffs on Chinese imports force retailers to scale back orders as they assess how tight customer budgets are. A 90-day extension to a tariff reprieve - agreed to by Washington and Beijing on August 11 - will allow retailers to rush in some last-minute shipments, but most holiday purchases are already done.

Retailers typically import seasonal goods in advance because many products need six-month lead times. "We're going to have a lower supply year," said Chris Butler, CEO of National Tree Company, a New Jersey-based artificial tree importer supplying Walmart (WMT.N), Home Depot (HD.N), Lowe's (LOW.N) and Amazon (AMZN.O).

The company, which sources roughly half its trees from China and the rest from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand, will hike prices by 10% to 20% on its Carolina pine, Nordic spruce, and Dunhill fir trees, Butler said. China is the biggest exporter of Christmas decorations to the U.S., accounting for 87% of such imports last year, worth roughly $4 billion, according to United States International Trade Commission data.

"We're not overbuying (from our suppliers) because we're not sure about consumer demand and don't want expensive inventory on our books," Butler said. Big retailers are more keen than usual to have National Tree ship directly to consumers rather than buying them as inventory, reducing the stores' risk on their balance sheets.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/fewer-fake-firs-higher-prices-china-tariff-delay-does-little-save-holidays-2025-08-18/