U.S. Tariffs Shake Up the Babywearing Industry: What Educators, Retailers, and Manufacturers Need to Know

The U.S. babywearing community (and our larger economy) is in a period of uncertainty. Recent tariff and shipping changes on imported goods are reshaping the economics of baby carriers, woven wraps, and raw materials. For families, this means higher prices and unexpected fees. For businesses, it means navigating a new and confusing system that affects every stage of the supply chain.

At CBWS, we’ve been following these developments closely for our business and discussing how they impact the educators, retailers, manufacturers, and families who make up our community. This post summarizes what we know, what we’re seeing, and what we think might lie ahead.

Unexpected Costs for Consumers

Perhaps the most visible impact of the tariffs and the closing of the de minimis exemption so far has been at the consumer level. Parents are reporting surprise charges on international shipments, sometimes after believing all costs were already paid.

For example, one recent Didymos package arriving for our HELD event in Baltimore incurred an additional $102 fee upon delivery, even though Didymos generously paid all tariffs; these were fees ON TOP OF TARIFFS! In the COC, others have shared similar experiences, with add-ons like brokerage fees and tariffs appearing unpredictably. The inconsistency is partly due to how shipping businesses handle fees: some services, like FedEx, seem to include costs upfront, while others deliver the shock at the door.

The result is hesitation. Families are delaying purchases or turning to secondhand carriers to avoid unexpected bills.

Strain on Businesses

For baby carrier manufacturers and retailers, especially those sourcing from Europe and Asia, the tariffs are hitting hard.

• India currently has a 50% import tariff, doubling costs for woven wraps made there. For example, the $30 raw cost wrap now costs $45 before shipping or retail markup.
• Even U.S. manufacturers are not insulated. Companies like Kinderpack and Beachfront Baby rely on imported textiles and components, which are now subject to tariffs.
• The U.S. currently has limited infrastructure for production, particularly for woven wrap and small-batch runs. Historically, some weaving was done in the Carolinas, but many of those mills haven’t been active since before the COVID pandemic. Restarting domestic production at scale is neither a quick nor an affordable solution.

For many small businesses, these pressures will mean contraction or closure. Either way, it will result in less profit and higher costs.

Shifts in the Market

Despite the challenges, adaptation has always been, and remains, a necessity in the business world. Here are some of our (tentative) predictions for the babywearing industry:

• Retailers ordering in bulk are in a stronger position. By spreading fees across larger shipments, they can reduce per-carrier costs (e.g., $10 added per carrier in a bulk order vs. $100 on an individual import). This may strengthen the role of U.S. retailers as direct-to-consumer purchases from Europe or China become more costly.
• Custom exclusives may become more common, with European brands producing special runs for U.S. retailers who can justify larger orders.
• The secondhand market may expand, with opportunities for U.S.-based businesses to refurbish, resell, or trade carriers domestically.
• Families may look more closely at U.S.-based brands and retailers, valuing transparency and reduced risk of surprise fees.

European companies like Didymos, ByKay, and Lenny Lamb will continue to push into the U.S. market despite hurdles, signaling that demand remains strong and the new competitive landscape shake-up will be a win-win for both consumers and retailers.

A Potential Silver Lining?

While higher costs are never welcome, there may be an unexpected benefit...the shift could actually improve the safety of carriers available in the U.S. Lower-cost options, often those with nebulous safety oversight, are rising in price due to the tariffs and the closing of the de minimis exemption, narrowing the gap between them and trusted, established brands.

Retailers may also gain a stronger foothold as families turn to them to help manage costs. If the minimum buy-in to import a single baby carrier is now $80, retailers are better positioned to spread those expenses across their inventory and provide more predictable pricing to consumers.

What Comes Next

At this point, the tariff landscape is still evolving. Court challenges may shift policies later this year, with new regulations anticipated through February. For now, businesses and families alike are left to navigate a reshuffling market.

The bottom line: everything will be more expensive at a time when many U.S. families already feel stretched. Baby carriers and related services may need price adjustments to reflect the new reality.

In some ways, this isn’t new. Industry and businesses have always had to adapt to shifting conditions or close, whether due to supply chain disruptions, changing safety standards, or changing consumer expectations. Tariffs and shipping costs are the latest hurdle, but our community will learn to navigate and carry on together.

What This Means for Different Parts of Our Community

For Babywearing Consultants

Parents will be looking to you for guidance. The carrier that was once affordable may now feel out of reach, and surprise delivery fees can create frustration. Consultants should:

• Prepare to address client concerns about pricing and availability directly, with empathy and clarity.
• Encourage clients to try on the carriers in person before making a purchase.
• Get comfortable guiding families through the secondhand carrier market. (We’ve created a resource to help with this—check it out here)
• Stay informed about shifting tariff policies and how they affect fees. Families will trust you more if you can help them anticipate potential costs.
• Familiarize yourself with trusted U.S.-based brands and retailers that may be less affected by tariffs, so you can offer alternatives when clients are hesitant about international purchases.

Your role goes beyond teaching “how-to," you’re helping families make wise, sustainable choices in a changing landscape.

For Retailers

Retailers are in a unique position to soften the blow of tariffs for families. With the ability to order in bulk, you can spread out costs and avoid the extreme markups families face when ordering directly. Consider:

• Leveraging exclusives or custom runs with trusted manufacturers, offering families unique products that justify higher price points.
• Communicating clearly about pricing changes and what’s behind them fosters transparency, which builds trust.
• Share how the products you carry meet your safety measures and the values that are important to your company.
• Exploring creative bundling or promotions that provide value while balancing higher baseline costs.
• Consider partnering with babywearing educators as ambassadors and to help communicate the value of what your store offers.

Families may increasingly rely on you to provide consistency and clearer safety assurances in a market full of surprise fees and a lack of compliance with US minimum safety guidelines.

For Manufacturers

For manufacturers, this is a moment for adaptation. Potential strategies include:

• Strengthening relationships with U.S. retailers to facilitate bulk orders and reduce per-unit costs.
• Experimenting with custom exclusives for the U.S. market, which can justify the logistics of larger shipments.
• Collaborating with babywearing educators to showcase how your brand is unique and has been carefully developed and tested.
• Staying visible and engaged despite barriers, many families will continue to seek out brands they can trust.
• Avoiding over-reliance on direct-to-consumer sales and working to minimize costs elsewhere in the company

Domestic U.S. manufacturing remains limited, and for many companies, fully local production is not currently feasible at a sustainable cost. But partnerships and innovation can help brands remain viable in this market.

Final Thoughts

This is just the beginning of the reshuffle. Tariffs and shipping rules will continue to evolve, and so will the babywearing industry. Some businesses will feel the strain more than others, but adaptation is already happening.

For families, the key takeaway is that babywearing will remain accessible; it may just look different, with more secondhand purchases, higher reliance on retailers, and a shift in brand availability. For professionals across the industry, it serves as a reminder of what we already know: our community is resilient, creative, and committed to keeping babies close.