The project’s renovation schedule is slowly moving along, your architect’s mind is full of ideas, and yet every quote you open is about taxes and shipping costs going up.
This is the situation many American homeowners and developers find themselves in, the good news is that there is currently a 90 tariff transition period and the current 30% is much more acceptable compared to the previous 145% tariff.
You can still purchase cabinets, lightings, furniture, tiles, doors, windows and other remodeling materials within your budget.
Table of Contents
The Impact of Trump's 145% Tariff Policy
1. Impact on Chinese exporters of building materials
| Core indicators | Before the tariff increase(March) | After tariff implementation(April) | Magnitude of change |
|---|---|---|---|
| China's overall exports to the United States | +12.4 % YoY | –21 % YoY | ↓33 % |
| China to U.S. Container Bookings | Standard of reference | –60 % | ↓60 % |
| Port of Los Angeles Arrivals | - | –35 %Year-on-year -10 % at end-April, down -35 % in two weeks | It's getting worse |
2. Impact on U.S. Owners
Put the 145% super tariff on American homeowners, the most intuitive feeling is – budgets are instantly out of control, and projects that should be on track are simply put on hold.
That’s the impact of the four-week tariff window on U.S. homeowners/developers looking to source building materials from China, as compiled by George Intl:
| Dimension | Concrete expression |
|---|---|
| Cost of materials | Duty-paid prices for cabinets, closets, light fixtures, tiles, doors and windows are generally 2-3 times higher. Based on an average 2,500 ft² new home, the cost of building a single unit is increased by ≈ $10,900. |
| Bookings & Arrivals | U.S.-to-China bookings plummeted by 60% in April, with many buyers choosing to wait and see, and the shortage of containers directly slowing down the program. |
| Project Progress | U.S. single-family housing starts were -2.1 % in April, with 78 % of contractors reporting difficulty in giving quotes. |
| Project Decision Making | - High-end villas and small hotel renovations directly delay or reduce project budgets; - Renovation customers downgraded their materials or switched to Southeast Asian sources; - Some owners simply suspend large purchases |
What is The Current Tariff Policy?
Tariffs on different products
| Building Material Products | Before tariff adjustment | Current tariffs |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen Cabinets / Wardrobes / Bathroom Cabinets (HS 9403) | 145% | 30% |
| Ceramic tiles / panels (HS 6907/6908) | ≈153.5 % （8.5 % MFN＋145 % 301） | ≈38.5 % （8.5 % MFN＋30 % 301） |
| Aluminum windows and doors / profiles (HS 7610) | 145% | 30% |
| Lighting / LED Lamps (HS 9405) | ≈148.9 % （3.9 % MFN＋145 % 301） | ≈148.9 % （3.9 % MFN＋145 % 301） |
| Natural stone (granite / marble, HS 6802) | 145% | 30% |
How U.S. Homeowners Can Protect Their Interests
1. Compliance to avoid customs clearance risks and additional penalties
Confirm the HS code of the building materials you are purchasing before placing the order, and consult a professional agent or customs broker if you are inexperienced.
Use compliant invoices and documents, all invoices and packing lists should be consistent with the customs declaration. Do not blur the product description to avoid being detected and fined by the Customs.
Understand whether AD/CVD is involved, such as cabinets, ceramics, aluminum profiles and other categories of some Chinese manufacturers are included in the U.S. anti-dumping/countervailing list, need to be confirmed in advance, to avoid the duty rate is too high and bear higher costs.
2. Cost control and clarity of tariffs
Sign DDP terms. If you are not familiar with the import process yourself, you can ask China supply to provide DDP delivery, which is simply the all-inclusive price of tariffs, customs clearance, and freight, reducing process complexity and tax risks.
Include a tariff fluctuation clause in the contract. As the current (2025) China-US trade policy is in a 90-day transition period (30% tariff), it is recommended to mark in the contract that if the tariff is adjusted upward/downward, the order price can be adjusted appropriately.
Compare FOB and DDP. suppliers can be asked to provide FOB and DDP quotes to gauge which of the two approaches is more favorable, especially now in a period of tariff uncertainty.
3. Ensuring delivery
Choose experienced Chinese suppliers, you need to know whether the supplier you choose has professional export i experience, understand the U.S. customs clearance process, and can work well together to provide accurate documents.
Booking in advance and checking the loading details. In order to avoid port congestion and shipping delays, you should book your shipment 2-4 weeks in advance.
If possible, you can go to China to inspect the goods in person, or ask a third party to inspect the goods and supervise the loading process instead.
Choose a familiar customs clearance agent. If you are not experienced enough, you can invite a professional agent to help you to classify the goods correctly, so as to avoid being misclassified to high tax codes or being stranded in Hong Kong due to wrong information.
How Can Help U.S. Homeowners Purchase?
1. Provide a clear quotation for the whole process
Chinese suppliers can provide a price quote, that is, including tax DDP, in which case the customer does not need to shut down the complex customs clearance costs and taxes, a direct clear understanding of the landing costs
2. Ensure product quality and delivery time
Provide customers with quality inspection reports to confirm product quality standards. Provide inspection and loading video, so that customers who are not in China can also remotely monitor the shipping process.
3. Prepare installation drawings, instructions or videos
It is convenient for American workers to install and accept on site to reduce communication and installation errors.
4. Try our best to assist in customs clearance and logistics
Provide DDP service. Customers do not need to be familiar with the customs clearance process, leave it to the professional team to deal with, especially for the first time in China purchasing customers are more secure.
Provide multi-port options, optimize the transportation path according to the customer’s project location, saving cost and time.
Conclusion
The current 90-day temporary tariff reduction period provides an opportunity for China and the United States to renegotiate, but there is still uncertainty about future tariff policies. U.S. customers can implement already negotiated orders during this period to prevent tariffs from changing again and affecting the progress of the project.
If you have a project that requires building materials products, you can also contact George Group, we provide you with appropriate quotes as well as a full range of services, and do our best to assist you in completing your project.
