Will Tariffs Drive Up Christmas Light Prices This Year?

Will Tariffs Make Christmas Lights More Expensive This Year?

If you're planning to upgrade your Christmas lights or expand your holiday display, you might want to shop sooner rather than later. Thanks to recent shifts in trade policy, tariffs could push Christmas light prices higher this year—especially for products imported from China, where most lights are manufactured.

Here’s what you need to know and how to plan ahead.

📦 Where Most Christmas Lights Come From

Over 80% of the Christmas lights sold in the U.S. are imported from China. These include:

• Budget-friendly indoor/outdoor string lights

• Commercial-grade LED systems

• Pre-lit trees, garlands, and décor

• Permanent RGB roofline systems

Any trade action targeting Chinese-manufactured electronics or consumer goods will likely affect the holiday lighting market directly.

💸 How Tariffs Drive Up Prices

Tariffs are essentially taxes on imported goods. When tariffs go up, suppliers and retailers often pass those costs to consumers. That means:

• Higher prices at the register

• Limited discounts during peak season

• Less availability of popular styles/models

Even small increases—like 10–15%—can translate to $20–$50 more per box for quality lighting products.

🚚 Why You Might See Fewer Options, Too

Beyond pricing, tariffs also impact supply chain decisions:

• Some brands order fewer units to avoid overstocking expensive inventory

• Others may cut quality to maintain price points

• Retailers might push lower-cost, lower-quality lights just to stay competitive

This means fewer choices and more chance of getting stuck with inferior lights that don’t last.

🎄 What You Can Do

1. Buy Early
Don’t wait until November. Tariffs aside, inflation and freight costs alone are causing prices to creep upward.

2. Look for U.S.-based Brands
Some premium lighting companies source or assemble lights domestically, and may be less affected by tariffs.

3. Consider Permanent Lighting
Systems like RGB roofline lights offer year-round use and can be a better long-term investment than replacing cheap lights every year.

4. Ask Your Installer About Inventory
If you work with a professional lighting company (like Primo Lights), ask if they’ve pre-ordered inventory before price hikes. Many pros lock in prices early.

💡 Bottom Line

Whether or not you follow trade news, tariffs have real impacts on seasonal products like Christmas lights. Plan early, shop smart, and don’t assume last year’s price tags will be back this season.