Vinyl, CD, And Cassettes To Stay Exempt From US Tariff Changes
Australian artists are still affected by the tariff changes, as Australia Post has suspended parcel deliveries of commercial value to the US.
Bone Yard Records QLD (Supplied)
Vinyl records, CDs, and cassettes will be exempt from forthcoming tariff changes in the US. However, items of music merchandise, such as posters and clothing, will be affected.
The news arrives as the US Customs and Border Protection agency recently shared updates about the new import taxes and which items will be affected by the changes.
Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to impose tariffs on imports from numerous countries, including allies like Australia.
International businesses shipping items to the US will be subjected to different import taxes as a result of the changes, NME reports. The amount that companies will be charged depends on the deals made throughout the year.
Australian companies will pay “a 10 per cent baseline tariff on most imported goods”; however, some goods have a higher tariff applied, while others are exempt.
Last week (29 August), the US suspended its “de minimis exemption” for low-value imports, meaning goods valued at $800 USD or less ($1,220 AUD) will no longer be exempt and will instead be subject to country-specific tariff rates.
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According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, items subject to higher tariffs from Australia include steel and aluminium (50 per cent), automobiles, light trucks, and certain automotive parts (25 per cent), as well as some copper and copper-containing products (50 per cent).
While the US has just suspended the de minimis exemption, the US Customs and Border Protection agency confirmed on its website that products classified as “informational materials” are exempt. That means that books, magazines, and physical music products such as vinyl, CDs, and cassettes won’t be affected by the changes.
Fyi vinyl records will be exempt from tariffs so there's a small win there i guess lol pic.twitter.com/ot1d9ppQkJ
— @plastic.disc (vinyl & music) 💽 (@plasticdotdisc) August 29, 2025
Australian artists are still affected by the tariff changes, as Australia Post has suspended “some” parcel deliveries to the US.
“The United States recently announced significant changes to its import tariff rules that will impact customers sending items from Australia to the US and its overseas territories, including Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands,” a notice on the Australia Post website reads.
As of 26 August, the company has “temporarily” suspended some of its international postal destinations due to the changes, noting that “letters and documents of no commercial value, and gifts valued under USD$100” won’t be affected by the new tariff rules or temporary suspension—ruling out an Aussie band from sending merchandise to US fans.
Australian metalcore band Alpha Wolf recently stated that they’re unable to “fulfil any orders shipping to the United States” due to Australia Post no longer shipping parcels valued above $100 to the US.
In an update shared with fans, they said, “Due to Australia Post suspending all parcel deliveries to the USA, we are currently unable to fulfil any orders shipping to the United States.
“We are hopeful this will only be temporary and will continue to monitor the situation closely, keeping you updated along the way.
In the meantime, our USA-based online store remains fully operational and ready to handle all your merch needs.”
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