In today’s economic turmoil of increased tariffs that sometimes appear to change from hour to hour, it is more important than ever to support our favorite small businesses. The equestrian industry has been hugely affected by the ever changing economic situation in the United States, from horse sales to your local tack shops. If you’ve noticed an increase in prices, the increased cost to get goods into the US is probably to blame. But what are tariffs, and how do they affect custom boot sales? Let’s dive into the nitty gritty.
What is a tariff, anyway?
For those who may not know, a tariff is an additional tax placed on a good when it is imported from one country to another, and this extra cost is applied when a product crosses a border. For example, most of the companies we work with craft their boots in Portugal or Italy, a tariff is applied when they enter the US from these countries.
Tariffs aren’t new - in fact, they are a centuries old trade policy. What is new is the ever shifting trade policies, that sometimes seem to change from day to day, or even hour to hour. Thus far we have seen tariffs on custom riding boots from 10% up to 35%. A 35% tariff on a $799 boot is $279.65. If that sounds crazy, know you are not alone and we too are struggling to figure out where to pass savings on to our clients, riders, and friends.
How The Distinguished Rider navigates tariffs with you
We are happy to announce that we will NOT be passing tariffs along to our clients. A couple of our brands, Kingsley and DeNiro, are VERY generously paying the tariffs for US customers. For the remaining brands, TDR will be paying the tariffs. You will receive the SAME service with hassle-free shipping and no tariffs :)
We so so so appreciate everyone for understanding during these uncertain times! Now more than ever it is important to support your local equestrian small businesses.
If you have questions about tariffs, or how to order your own dream custom riding boots, send us an email at thedistinguishedrider.com