New Tariffs Add To The Rising Price Of Black Beauty

Just months ago, tariffs weren’t even part of the beauty conversation. Now, they’re impossible to ignore, sitting in the middle of the room like a broke man camped out on your couch. This is especially true for Black-owned businesses already navigating steep barriers to survival. From braiding hair to foundation, much of what powers the Black beauty industry comes from overseas. When tariffs drive up import costs, the weight falls heaviest on entrepreneurs operating on thin margins with limited safety nets.

[SEE ALSO: Ami Colé Is Closing—And That Says Everything About The Beauty Industry]

The pandemic only deepened this global dependence. Nearly 70 million Americans shopped with international retailers in 2023, according to Capital One. Even more are projected this year and that reliance makes tariffs more than a trade policy. They’re reshaping the everyday economics of Black beauty.

ADVERTISEMENT

For Black entrepreneurs, the strain is compounded. Access to capital has always been limited. Now, higher duties leave owners with few options: absorb the costs, risk raising prices, or scramble to rework fragile supply chains. Imported purchased under $800 are no longer tariff-free. With the end of the long-standing de minimis exemption, even small shipments now carry steep fees. On top of that, duties on Indian imports are set to double to 50%, threatening the hair, fabrics, and beauty staples that anchor many Black businesses.

The fallout is already visible. In Georgia, some salons report shipping delays and price spikes so sharp they’ve asked clients to bring their own extensions and adhesives. In Dallas, Nikki Hill-Reece, owner of Allure Faces by Nikki, said tariffs were “increasing the cost of several essential materials and products we rely on, which has led to tighter profit margins.”

To stay afloat, she’s had to pivot by sourcing more expensive domestic alternatives, renegotiating contracts, stocking up on inventory, and adjusting pricing. 

Transparency, she said, has been critical: “Many of our clients have been understanding, especially when we’re transparent about rising costs. Trust and communication have helped us keep their loyalty.” Still, the unpredictability of tariff changes makes long-term planning difficult.

ADVERTISEMENT

For others, the cost has proven too great. Ami Colé, which was once considered the future of melanin-rich makeup, is now closing in September. Despite raising millions, getting shelf space in more than 600 Sephora stores, and cultivating a loyal community, founder Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye cites a perfect storm of pressures—tariffs, investor demands, and marketing costs—that made sustainability impossible. “We’ve got this president, climbing tariffs, and marketing costs that are brutal for small brands like mine,” she said in a recent interview.

If such a well-received and resourced brand like Ami Colé couldn’t handle the storm, then what should we expect for smaller, independent entrepreneurs?

The truth is, Black business owners have always faced barriers like lack of access to capital to discriminatory lending practices. Tariffs are simply the latest obstacle in a long pattern. Policymakers can frame them as national economic strategy, but for Black entrepreneurs, they are a daily reminder of how fragile success can be.

The path forward requires more than resilience. Black beauty cannot afford to be “late to the table” on trade and policy decisions that directly shape its future. Entrepreneurs, consumers, and communities alike must recognize the stakes, invest in the businesses that serve us, and demand policies that don’t deepen inequity.

ADVERTISEMENT

In an industry that has always innovated under pressure, adaptability remains essential. But “faith-ing” it until we make it should not be the only story — equity has to become a major part of the conversation, too.