SAA Member Note: US Tariffs on the Arts

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Stacked Shipping containers

What’s actually happening with US tariffs on Canadian art

August 27, 2026

There’s a lot of conflicting information circulating right now about US tariffs on artwork shipped from Canada and, here at the SAA, we want to give you the accurate picture before you make decisions about your own shipping.

As of August 22, 2026, the United States has an additional 50% tariff in effect on a specific list of Canadian goods, published as Annex I, and original artwork is on that list by name: paintings, drawings, pastels, collages, original prints, lithographs, and sculpture, along with Indigenous cultural materials like bone, horn, antler, and hides. CARFAC National confirmed that this took effect this week, and artists are already reporting the impact. This tariff is added to the usual 0% base duty. “Art has always been duty-free” is true of the base rate, not of what’s being charged now. If you’ve seen artists say they’re now facing 50% tariffs, that’s accurate too.

If you’ve shipped to the US before without any tariff being applied, you may be thinking of an older exemption for artwork that no longer applies. It applied to a different tariff regime that a Supreme Court ruling struck down earlier this year, and that exemption does not carry over to the new one. Before you ship, we’d encourage you to confirm with your carrier or a licensed customs broker exactly how your work is being classified under the current rule. 

You can look up the HS code for your work using the Canada Tariff Finder, and find a licensed broker through the CSCB directory or CBSA’s broker listing. If you want certainty before you ship, US Customs and Border Protection offers an advance ruling process where you can confirm how a specific piece will be treated ahead of time. CARFAC National also offers Certificates of Canadian Origin and advisory support for artists navigating cross-border shipping; reach them at artistservices@carfac.ca.

We want to be honest about the financial support picture too. We looked into the federal programs being promoted for tariff-affected businesses, and most are not built for how independent artists actually work. BDC’s tariff support program offers loans, not grants, and is underwritten against business revenue history, which makes it a poor fit for most individual practices. The Regional Tariff Response Initiative requires incorporation, at least two years in operation, and staffed facilities, criteria that exclude nearly all unincorporated independent artists by design. 

The Trade Commissioner Service’s resource hub has useful general information on CUSMA compliance, but no direct funding for individuals. We’re looking into whether SAA itself might be eligible to apply for RTRI funding on behalf of the sector, and will update you if that goes anywhere. In the meantime, this gap is exactly why SAA, CARFAC, and the Visual Arts Alliance are pushing for a response built for how artists actually work, not adapted from programs meant for incorporated employers.

We know this is frustrating and the situation is moving quickly. SAA is working with CARFAC National, the Visual Arts Alliance, and the Canadian Arts Coalition to push the federal government for an exemption for original Canadian artwork, along with targeted financial relief for artists and galleries affected by these tariffs. We’ll keep you updated as things change.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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