Businesses across the upholstery industry have been working to adapt to new tariffs introduced by the Trump Administration. These tariffs, aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing and rebalancing trade, have significantly affected the cost of imported goods, especially materials like leather and other textiles commonly used in the automotive sector.
While the broader goal of the tariffs is to strengthen the American economy, the short-term impact has been unpredictable. Some companies are absorbing added costs, others are adjusting prices, and many are grappling with supply chain uncertainties. In some cases, even seasoned international shipping and customs experts have struggled to keep up with the evolving regulations and unexpected fees.
To help shed light on how businesses in our industry are responding, we reached out to several of our trusted sponsors for their perspectives. Each provided a candid statement on the challenges they are facing and the steps they are taking to minimize disruption for their customers.
Their responses highlight the wide range of approaches — from modest price adjustments to proactive sourcing strategies to a commitment to holding prices steady despite behind-the-scenes turmoil. One consistent theme: the situation remains fluid, and companies are doing their best to navigate it in real time.
Below are statements from Albright’s Supply, Douglass Interior Products, Hydes Leather, Keyston Brothers, and NC Carpet Binding & Equipment.
Albright’s Supply
At Albright’s Supply, we know that tariff changes can create uncertainty, especially in an industry where many materials are sourced internationally. While our vendors have not made firm decisions on price increases yet, from the notices we have received, most will have a 5-10% increase with metal products having around 25% increase. At this current time, many of our vendors have not enacted the surcharge as this is still a fluid situation. We are actively monitoring the situation and staying in close communication with them.
Pricing will be available at the time of your order, and we’ll continue doing everything we can to keep any changes as stable and minimal as possible. Thank you for your continued support and understanding—please reach out with any questions.
To learn more about Albright’s Supply, visit AlbrightsSupply.com.
Douglass Interior Products
As you may be aware, recent tariff changes have impacted on several materials used across our product lines. While we have worked closely with our supply chain partners to absorb as much of the increased cost as possible, a modest price adjustment has become necessary on a select group of products.
Effective immediately, the following product lines will see a slight price increase to account for the added cost due to tariffs:
- Leather
- Synthetic Leather
We remain committed to providing you with the highest quality materials and service, and we have taken every possible step to minimize the impact on your business. Any of our stock products that were received before the new tariffs were imposed will not be affected by the price increase.
If you have any questions or would like a detailed breakdown of the updates, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your account representative or contact us directly.
Thank you for your continued partnership and understanding.
To learn more about Douglass Interior Products, visit DouglassInteriorProducts.com.
Hydes Leather
At Hydes Leather, we understand how tariff changes can cause uncertainty, especially for small, independent auto trim shops. That’s why we’re committed to being as transparent and proactive as possible throughout this evolving situation.
Following the recent adjustment to US import tariffs, we’re pleased to share that Hydes Leather will be absorbing the full cost of the new 10% tariff — ensuring our customers aren’t burdened by any unexpected fees. Any customers who were impacted by the previous 20% tariff have already been refunded by Hydes Leather. We have no immediate plans to increase pricing for our customers but will continue to keep you updated if and when anything changes.
While others may explore alternative sources to avoid tariffs, we remain committed to sourcing all of our automotive leather and genuine Alcantara directly from Europe. We’re not willing to compromise on quality — and believe our clients deserve only the best materials for their builds.
“We’ve always believed that our customers should never have to choose between quality and cost,” says Ben Cooke, General Manager at Hydes Leather. “By covering these tariffs ourselves and standing by our premium European tanneries we’re doing everything we can to keep things consistent and fair for the trimming community.”
We’ll continue to monitor developments closely and keep our customers informed every step of the way.
To learn more about Hydes Leather, visit HydesLeather.com.
Keyston Bros.
We are aware of the ongoing global tariff discussions and want to reassure you that here, at Keyston Bros, we have a dedicated team actively monitoring these ever changing developments.
In addition to our robust global sourcing capabilities, we have already had long-standing and established domestic partnerships in place across several of our market segments. This strategic approach allows us to remain flexible and responsive as the situation evolves, enabling us to carefully review and implement all available options to mitigate any potential impact. While we do import from China, it only is a small fraction of our overall product mix.
Unfortunately, we will still see some price volatility. However, as mentioned, due to our breadth of domestic and non-Chinese partnerships we’ve curated from decades of doing business, we are doing everything we can to manage costs while continuing to provide you with the highest quality products and services.
We truly value your partnership and will keep you informed of any significant updates. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.
To learn more about Keyston Brothers, visit KeystonBros.com.
NC Carpet Binding & Equipment
There’s a ton of mixed messaging and nobody has a grasp on it for both imports and exports. Even the professionals like our international website cart company & our export carrier are in the dark on how the new tariffs will impact everything. Asking them for advice is only logical and they don’t have concrete answers. An order placed with Italy 2 months ago for scissors wasn’t supposed to incur additional tariffs. When it arrived, there was a random additional fee of 7.5%. Nobody knows why.
Things seem to be changing on the fly and if I’m a betting man, we’re being taken advantage of. Not by Trump or other countries, but by customs. Why a 7.5% fee when it’s “apparently” not supposed to be there? Unfortunately, there’s no one to call and no entity can reverse it. Pay it or else, essentially.
All that being said, we’ve staying the course and haven’t raised any prices. OEM’s are absolutely scrambling whether they’re in Japan, China, or otherwise.
Speaking with our Juki rep the other day, many OEM’s are raising prices out of fear of the unknown. Even sewing machine dealers are raising prices on old stock. How do you tell the difference on new stock cost vs. old inventory cost, who’s price gouging and who’s not? It’s like the wild west and nobody seems to have an understanding on a clear set of rules.
To learn more about NC Carpet Binding & Equipment, visit N-CCarpet.com.
Stay tuned to The Hog Ring for continued coverage on how new tariffs are impacting the auto upholstery industry.
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