Trump administration tariffs have increased prices for artificial Christmas trees imported from China this year, even as prices for real saplings remain unchanged, according to industry sources.
The American Christmas Tree Association estimates that prices for plastic trees have jumped by 10% to 15%, or about $30 to $45 more for a $300 six-and-a-half-foot plastic spruce.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, President Trump has levied a 7.5% duty on fake trees from China, which supplies up to 90% of the 15 to 20 million purchased in the U.S. each year.
“Despite these higher costs, we know that the president has long expressed a genuine appreciation for the Christmas season, and he wants families across the country to enjoy a meaningful holiday,” Jami Warner, the association’s executive director, said in an email. “Had retailers and suppliers not absorbed much of the tariff costs, those prices might have been higher.”
She noted that artificial Christmas tree sales are up in Europe, where they are not subject to tariffs, compared with a roughly 8% drop in the U.S.
Meanwhile, most live tree lots and wholesalers are keeping prices the same this year because production costs have stabilized as inflation cools.
An annual survey from the Real Christmas Tree Board found that 84% of growers did not plan to raise wholesale prices for pre-cut trees this holiday season, up from 60% last year.
The National Christmas Tree Association, a trade group of live tree growers, estimated that Americans bought 21.5 million farm-cut trees in 2023 at a median price of $80, down slightly from 22.3 million in 2022. The most popular farm-grown trees were firs.
The association has not yet released sales estimates for 2024, but predicted Thursday that sales will be strong this season due to a robust supply of fresh trees.
“Smaller trees are a growing market this year,” Ricky Dungey, the association’s executive director, said in a phone call. “We’re hearing reports that more families are buying 3 to 4-foot tabletop trees to have a second tree for the kids to decorate.”
He said that while financial pressures may be leading some families to purchase small trees, others may be choosing them out of “convenience or preference.”
In a statement to The Washington Times, the White House defended its efforts to uproot the nation’s reliance on Chinese plastics.
“Real prosperity is American workers being able to support their families and communities because they have good jobs that pay well and provide dignity,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said. “This is what the Trump administration’s America First agenda of tariffs, deregulation, tax cuts, and domestic energy is focused on unleashing — not cheap imports.”
’A bit of volatility’
According to the live Christmas tree industry, sales have been strong this season as Christmas Day approaches.
Hugh Rodell, the owner of North Star Christmas Trees in Beltsville and Chevy Chase, Maryland, said he and his growers didn’t raise prices this year because production costs have stabilized from post-pandemic increases. The average pre-cut Fraser fir from North Carolina or Balsam fir from Nova Scotia on his lot sells for $100.
By comparison, he noted that the cheapest Chinese plastic trees are running around $300 at some retailers in the D.C. area.
“We’re seeing some nostalgia among younger couples coming out to get a real tree,” Mr. Rodell said in an interview. “And they’re happy to see prices not raised. It’s a rare thing.”
Prices rose last year by between 1.5% and 2% for the several thousand real trees on his lot, compared to an average increase of 3% to 5% in 2023 and 8% in 2022.
This year’s stability in retail prices is a return to pre-pandemic norms, when he said they either did not change or increased no higher than 1.5% most years.
“With things like the government shutdown, it creates a bit of volatility, and we try to pass along value to customers,” Mr. Rodell added. “We’ve seen consistent daily sales since the day before Thanksgiving.”
Nearly 100 million households display a real or artificial Christmas tree, according to industry research. Only about 20% display a real tree each year, with firs a general favorite.
The American Christmas Tree Association, a nonprofit trade group for the artificial tree industry, found that 83% of consumers surveyed in October planned to display a plastic fir this year. The price of a plastic tree ranges from $100 to $1,000, depending on the quality and supplier.
While consumers choose artificial trees for environmental and practical reasons, analysts say they cite the smell of fresh-cut nature as a reason for favoring a live fir.
Market research has long shown that families with school-aged children are the likeliest to cut a fresh pine on a farm or purchase a pre-cut cedar from a lot.
Angelica Gianchandani, a New York University marketing instructor, said the financial pressure of an uncertain job market has pushed many families back to real trees this year.
“A real Christmas tree becomes a small but important way to bring joy into the home without stretching the budget as much,” Ms. Gianchandani said in an email. “That emotional value, combined with more moderate pricing, is why we are seeing stronger demand for real trees this season.”
