Black hairstylists and their clients are bracing for price hikes and supply shortages after the Trump administration announced new tariffs on imported Chinese goods—including the synthetic and human hair products that power the multibillion-dollar Black hair industry.
The back-and-forth tariff dance is still ongoing, but many merchants have already tacked on increases for what they consider the inevitable.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office levied tariffs as high as 145% on certain Chinese imports. Although that figure was later reduced to 30%, industry leaders say the damage is already done—and Black-owned businesses are taking the hit.
“Everything from the shampoo to the thread to sew the wigs have gone up because of tariffs,” said Houston stylist Davion Anderson, who specializes in custom wig making. “In fact, the hair I usually buy for my clients to make their wigs has gone up 40%.”
Warren Broadnax, CEO of She’s Happy Hair—a national Black-owned beauty brand with five retail locations—says his company has been pushed to the brink by the unpredictable, rising costs.
“Without a sustainable tariff rate being set, we can’t forecast how to set our prices,” Broadnax explained. “That cuts into our margins. At first, we tried to eat some of the costs. But when tariffs jumped aggressively, we had no choice but to raise prices just to stay in business.”
In 2024 alone, the U.S. imported more than $1.6 billion in wigs, weaves, and hairpieces—most of it from China. This includes synthetic and human hair bundles, braiding hair, lace-front wigs, closures, and even the packaging and tools required to create and maintain protective styles.
According to a study by Market.us, Black women spend six times more on hair care than other ethnicities. Protective styles are not a luxury—they are essential. But for stylists and hair businesses, the new tariffs have disrupted an already fragile ecosystem.
“My business has tapered off,” Anderson said. “People are having to choose between essentials and getting their hair done. And Black women often put their needs on the back burner to take care of their families.”
Broadnax echoes that sentiment and warns the problem runs deeper than just price hikes. “We’ve missed sales because we’re paying for inventory we don’t have,” he said. “We’re one of the few companies that pays up front before receiving inventory. So when shipments are delayed two to three weeks while FedEx or DHL decides how much in tariffs we owe, that’s money sitting in limbo—and it’s impacting our ability to pay employees.”
Sometimes, he added, carriers show up with inventory only to demand thousands in fees on the spot. “We’ve literally had drivers show up with boxes and say, ‘You owe $3,000 in tariffs and I need a money order right now,’” Broadnax said. “Our staff doesn’t handle large amounts of cash, and we’re caught scrambling. That delay puts us further behind on sales.”
The delays and price fluctuations are not just hurting profits—they’re damaging consumer trust.
“Our customers have come to know us as reliable,” Broadnax said. “We’re open seven days a week, and we keep the shelves stocked. But now, customers walk in looking for their favorite bundle and we don’t have it. That’s something we’ve worked 13 years to avoid.”
And even though inflation is affecting everyone, Broadnax says Black-owned businesses often don’t get the benefit of the doubt.
“If a $100 bundle becomes $240 overnight because of tariffs, most customers aren’t watching CNBC. They’re not thinking about trade wars—they think we’re trying to get rich off them,” he said. “So some of these increases, we take on the chin. We’re resilient, but I don’t want that to make people think it’s easy. It’s anything but easy.”
“These tariffs aren’t just about goods—they’re about our livelihoods, our self-worth, and our communities,” Anderson said. “And for Black women especially, hair has always been political.”
This story originally appeared here.