A typically quiet summer in our little corner of the music world came to an abrupt end last week, with the news that at the end of August, the United States government would impose new tariffs on goods from UK and the countries of the EU — two prime sources of progressive rock for American fans. In addition, a ‘de minimis’ exemption that allowed foreign packages valued under $800 to enter the US duty-free was going away at the same time. This prompted the Royal Mail, other European postal services and international businesses like Etsy and DHL to suspend deliveries to the US, allowing time for new procedures and paperwork to be developed and put in place. (The Royal Mail has restarted deliveries, providing tariff collection services on their end and charging sellers an additional handling fee.)

The impact on musicians we’ve come to know and love is currently unclear. Progarchy’s go-to British retailer Burning Shed will collect the new 10% tariff on UK shipments to the US — but only on merch, citing Royal Mail guidance that “informational materials” (books, CDs, vinyl, DVDs, BluRays, cassettes, posters and photographs) are exempt. Bandcamp is providing similar guidance to their international sellers (including Leonardo Pavkovic’s MoonJune Records — though as ever, Leonardo does things in his own unique way) and US buyers, but they also note that

The exception will depend on the seller including the correct HS codes on the customs forms and the US agencies processing the packages correctly . . . For those packages that are shipped to the United States after August 29, 2025, you (the buyer) may be charged tariffs upon delivery of the order. Any import duties are the buyer’s responsibility to pay.

Stalwart American importer (and Progarchy fave) The Band Wagon USA is leery about the impact of these changes, citing the real possibility of price increases and more limited stock in the near future. To their credit, they’re also stepping up to provide US distribution for DIY artists like Celtic-Tolkien progger Dave Brons (previously featured on this site), whom these new taxes and regulations will impact the most. But even the bigger acts in the genre are pondering their options; Marillion was one of the first to sound the alert about the coming changes, then suspend shipments until the fog clears. And since the two largest prog labels — Inside Out, a European division of Sony, and Kscope — are headquartered overseas, saying what the future holds only becomes more difficult.

Hardcore fan that I am, I plan to keep on keepin’ on with my upcoming purchases, wherever in the world they come from (I mean, come on — a new live album from Big Big Train! Ring van Möbius’ farewell album! A triple set of trio improv from The Necks!). And while your mileage may vary, let’s continue to support the musicians and the middlemen that bring the music to us, in a way that helps them continue to do what they love!

— Rick Krueger