New tariffs issued by executive orders in the United States have caused confusion in the industry around how vinyl records will be impacted. The executive order going into effect on August 29, 2025, removes a long-standing “de minimis” tariff exemption for most goods valued under USD $800.

However, according to Discogs this change does not apply to “informational materials” like vinyl records, which are still exempt from tariffs under US law 50 USC 1702(b)(3). In effect vinyl records, along with CDs, cassettes, and other recorded media should be exempt from any tariffs. The complexity of new taxes and duties, however, means that many national postal services have already announced that they are pausing all shipments to the US to give themselves time to prepare for the changes. Meanwhile, commercial carriers such as UPS, FedEx, and DHL Express are continuing to move shipments into the US at this time, but these options may come at a higher price than usual.

Our Take: Despite vinyl being exempt from the new tariff, it is important that those looking to import or export records take extra care to provide clear descriptions and correct HS codes. This includes using the term “Informational Materials: phonograph (vinyl) record” to stay in line with the legal terminology that exempts records from the new executive order. See Discogs’ full guide for more details.