How Tariffs Are Reshaping Home Goods

FORMULATED is the Tortuga Forma journal about the rituals we create around the home, the objects that bring us joy, and the stories behind how things are made. Every object has a story.

How Tariffs Are Reshaping Home Goods

For small businesses like Tortuga Forma, every decision—where and how we produce, which materials we source, and how we price our products—comes with careful consideration. We don’t just manufacture; we honor craft traditions, working with partners who bring generations of expertise to our collections. But the tariff changes will affect prices across the home goods industry and now might be the best time to stock up on tableware, decor, and gifts way ahead of the gifting season.

Why We Produce Where We Do

Each material and technique we choose is deeply tied to the culture and craftsmanship of its place of origin. Our table linens are produced in Japan, where highly skilled artisans specialize in double-sided printing and slubbed cotton weaving, techniques that create depth and texture unique. Meanwhile, our Decorative Pillows and Cocktail Napkins are sewn in the U.S. And our Dumbo Bookends receive their perfect finish in a Pennsylvania family-run powder coat painting shop. We don’t choose our production partners based on the lowest possible price. However, pricing still matters—both for our customers and for the sustainability of our business.

Cocktail Napkins ready for sewing in North Carolina.

Tariff Increases and What to Expect

With the tariff announcements on April 2, 2025, we’re facing substantial cost increases across many products and are doing our best to keep prices reliable and consistent for customers. There’s often a misconception that businesses can easily shift production to another country or find lower-cost alternatives. But craft is place-based—it’s not just about cost; it’s about technique, culture, and knowledge that takes generations to refine. Our Kyoto based textile partner is a 4th generation business and one of very few who specialize in double sided printing. Moving production elsewhere isn’t just impractical—it risks losing the soul of what makes these products special.

Dumbo Bookends raw steel from China; finished in Pennsylvania by a family-run powder coat paint workshop.

More from the Journal

  1. Read more: Japan's Ancient Plant Fibers
    Japan's Ancient Plant Fibers

    Japan's Ancient Plant Fibers

    Long before cotton arrived in Japan, weavers worked with five ancient plant fibers: banana fiber, ramie, linden, hemp, and wisteria. This April, Tortuga Forma presented handwoven Japanese textiles rarely seen outside Japan at Sample House in Long Island City, NY.

     

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  2. Read more: Reversible: The Process Behind a Two-Sided Textile
    Reversible: The Process Behind a Two-Sided Textile

    Reversible: The Process Behind a Two-Sided Textile

    Tortuga Forma's reversible linens are designed with equal intention on both sides — each with its own pattern, scale, and palette. Discover the meticulous two-step printing process that makes it possible, and why these fabrics are made to be turned, folded, and lived with from every angle.

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  3. Read more: Recipe: Terrine with Pumpkin, Olive, Robbiolo
    Recipe: Terrine with Pumpkin, Olive, Robbiolo

    Recipe: Terrine with Pumpkin, Olive, Robbiolo

    Audrey Falk's terrine is a harmonious blend of velvety winter squash, earthy robiola and unctuous olives. Inspired by layered terrines, she gives this French classic her own touch. Traditionalists, know that you won’t see any pectin or pâté here.

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