On the eve of the official start of High Point Fall Market (the big retailers are already in town trying to get a head start on their deals before the crowds show up) the industry finds itself in a nightmare scenario that it can’t quite wake up from.

Six months ago at Spring Market , President Trump had just announced the so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs , and vendors and dealers alike were trying to figure out what to do next. Ever since, tariffs have been a moving target, going up , down and even sideways —creating a chaotic marketplace the likes of which the industry has never experienced before.

Two seasons later, and the tariff quicksand continues to devour any semblance of order in the business. The base duty on goods from China, still an important resource for most

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