Only a few years ago, piano makers and technicians around the world could ship instruments and parts into the United States with relatively little concern for tariffs. Import duties on grand pianos, upright pianos, and most parts were modest - often negligible once the “de minimis” exemption of $800 per shipment was factored in. That era has now ended, and the consequences for the global piano industry may be profound.
 

From 0–5% to 15%: A New Reality for Piano Imports
 

Traditionally, European pianos entering the U.S. market faced minimal tariff rates, typically between 0–5% depending on classification. For a $10,000 German piano, the additional cost was perhaps $500 at most, a figure easily absorbed into the price tag of a premium instrument.

Today, under the new U.S. tariff regime, that same instrument is subject to a 15% duty, meaning an immediate $1,500 increase. But the cost does not stop there. Higher tariffs also inflate associated expenses: customs brokerage fees, insurance, warehousing, and even financing costs. As a result, the real price increase is often closer to 20–25%. In other words, the same German piano that once landed in the U.S. at $10,500 may now cost upwards of $12,500 or more.

This shift is not just about numbers - it represents a structural challenge. European and Japanese manufacturers, who have long relied on the U.S. market, may find that their traditional B2B (business-to-business) distribution models - selling to American piano dealers - are no longer sustainable. To remain competitive, they may be forced to explore B2C (direct-to-consumer) models, reshaping how high-end pianos reach American living rooms.
 

Beyond Pianos: The Silent Suffering of Parts and Tools
 

The U.S. piano industry is not only about new instruments. Thousands of technicians and rebuilders import action parts, hammers, strings, and specialized tools from Europe, the UK, Japan, and China.

Before: Any shipment valued under $800 could enter tariff-free under the de minimis rule. For most orders of spare parts, this meant 0% duty - a significant cost advantage.

Now: The de minimis threshold is gone. Every shipment, regardless of value, is taxed.
 

Here is what this looks like today:
 

EU → USA: ~15% duty

UK → USA: ~10% duty

Japan → USA: ~15% duty

China → USA: up to 30% duty, in some cases far higher (special tariffs have reached 120%+).
 

For technicians, this means that even a $600 set of hammers or a $300 set of strings - once untaxed - may now arrive with an additional 10–20% surcharge. A complete set of action parts costing $1,200 could suddenly carry an extra $120–$180 in duties, before even counting brokerage and shipping fees.
 

Can Costs Be Passed On?
 

The big question is whether these rising costs can be absorbed or passed on. For manufacturers, a 15–25% increase in landed cost is hard to ignore, but their premium branding might allow some upward pricing. For technicians, however, the challenge is more personal: can they realistically raise service rates enough to cover the new expenses without pricing themselves out of their local markets?
A technician who once ordered $700 worth of parts duty-free may now face $100–$150 in new charges each time. Should that be reflected in the invoice to the customer, or silently absorbed as “overhead”?
 

The Future Crescendo
 

The U.S. remains a major piano market for European and Japanese factories, but these new tariff rules are rewriting the score. These factories may need to innovate their sales strategies. Technicians will need to re-examine pricing models and customer communication. And American buyers may soon discover that the cost of maintaining or purchasing a fine instrument has entered a new, more expensive movement.
 

The tariff increase is more than a trade policy shift - it is a wake-up call. The positive news is that, according to our surveys, workshops specializing in piano restoration have a great deal of work, and colleagues engaged in professional piano service are also very busy. This segment of the piano market will likely become stronger for now, while manufacturing and distribution will need to find their own path.