The Bulbs Behind the Bill: How Trump’s Tariffs Are Quietly Raising Holiday Lighting Costs

If your holiday display is pricier this year, a big part of the reason is the legacy of the Trump-era Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports—many of which never went away and, in some cases, were even increased under subsequent administrations. What started as an effort to pressure China over trade practices has become a durable layer of added cost embedded in everything from C9 bulbs to timers and heavy-duty wiring. Those costs don’t vanish at the border; they get passed down to U.S. importers, small businesses, and ultimately customers. Akin - Akin, an Elite Global Law FirmPIIETax Foundation

The intended goal—addressing perceived unfair trade behavior—has some policy defensibility, but the implementation has introduced real instability. Tariff rates have shifted, exemptions have expired or been extended unevenly, and the overall environment for sourcing has been volatile. That unpredictability makes inventory planning and reliable quoting a nightmare for a seasonal business trying to deliver consistent quality. Harvard Business ReviewThomson ReutersGlobal Trade Magazine

It’s not just theory: multiple analyses show that the economic burden of tariffs ends up on U.S. businesses and consumers, not the foreign producers the tariffs target. Importers either absorb margin pressure or pass price increases along, and many small operators don’t have the scale to cushion the hit. Tax FoundationSchwab Brokerage

On top of the base tariffs, trade policy shifts—threats, rollbacks, and reapplications—have repeatedly shaken supply chains, making “just-in-time” or even seasonal sourcing far less reliable. That’s meant delays, sudden cost spikes, and extra overhead in contingency planning, all while trying to keep execution professional and safe. Harvard Business ReviewSchwab Brokerage

We could cheap out. We could start using low-grade, off-the-shelf lights that burn out or become fire hazards mid-season. But we don’t. We’ve stuck with premium, durable components because the customer experience matters—and because cutting quality to mask tariff-driven cost pressure erodes trust. Maintaining that standard while absorbing or passing on rising input costs is the balancing act small businesses like mine are stuck in. Equitable Growth

Years later, the tariffs are still baked into every quote and every strand. Most people don’t see the policy history; they just see the price and assume the business is gouging. The truth is simpler and more frustrating: the system has added layers of cost and complexity to doing something straightforward—lighting up people’s homes and businesses with care. PIIEAkin - Akin, an Elite Global Law Firm

So yeah—trade policy matters. Structural attempts to rebalance global trade can have legitimate aims, but when the mechanisms add persistent cost, volatility, and downstream burden without clear relief or adjustment for the smallest operators, it’s the local businesses and communities that feel it most. We’ll keep showing up, delivering the quality people expect. But now you know part of why the sticker price went up.

1. Sources:

   1. Office of the U.S. Trade Representative –

   2. Section 301 Investigations Peterson Institute –

   3. Trump Trade War Timeline Bloomberg –

   4. The Cost of Trump’s Tariffs U.S. International Trade Commission –

   5. HTS Tariff Database NPR –

   6. Who Pays Tariffs? CNBC – Americans Are Paying Tariffs Brookings –

   7. Long-Term Trade War Damage Harvard Business Review –

   8. Trade War Supply Chain Disruption WSJ –

   9. Why Shifting Supply Chains Is Hard Forbes –

   10. Trade War's Impact on Small Business Consumer Reports –

   11. Holiday Light Safety U.S. Department of Energy –

   12. LED Lighting Benefits Reuters –

   13. Christmas Decor Hit by Tariffs NYT

   14. Biden Maintains Trump Tariffs