Independent Online Booksellers Association (IOBA) members have been closely monitoring the impacts of the U.S. tariffs since they were first announced. With more than 370 members worldwide, IOBA is ideally suited to understand how these rules affect bookselling businesses, particularly regarding the shipping of books between countries.
There have been ongoing discussions on our private members-only Discuss list, and shared news stories drew the attention of The Washington Post, resulting in coverage in the newspaper’s Book Club Newsletter by columnist Ron Charles, with two IOBA members being quoted in the piece.
Richard Erdmann, owner of Mare Booksellers in Dover, New Hampshire, discussed some of the issues:
Richard Erdmann, vice president of the Independent Online Booksellers Association (IOBA), tells me he’s been hearing of problems from members in the U.S. and abroad. Even when dealers correctly label a package as informational material, “the shipping companies are erring on the side of caution and labeling it as something other than just a book” — and tacking on extra charges.
“Books — especially higher-end books — there’s a low margin on those,” he says. “An extra 20 percent onto what you expected to pay for that book can be a killer for trying to acquire inventory. Some of our sellers in the U.S. are extremely worried these tariffs could mean the end of their small businesses.”
Erdmann says his association is concerned that efforts to comply with new U.S. tariff rules could result in E.U. shippers charging ruinous flat fees, such as $80 for a single $10 book.
Sylvia Petras, a current IOBA Board Member-at-Large, added her perspective:
Sylvia Petras, owner of Leaf and Stone Books in Toronto, tried to use the new declaration form, which requires the address, phone number and Zip code of the manufacturer. “That’s really great in the used book market,” she says. She asked her fellow booksellers, “Anyone happen to have the email address, contact name and Tax ID number for one Aldus Manutius?” (Probably not. Ever since the Italian printer died in 1515, he’s been notoriously slow with paperwork.)
The comments above are excerpted with permission, but you can read the full Washington Post article here. IOBA leadership and our members will continue to track and share developments on this and a multitude of other topics through our private Discuss list, and other channels.
Additional Links:
A statement regarding tariffs and their impact has been released by the Independent Online Booksellers Association. IOBA is a U.S. based, nonprofit, International trade organization benefiting member booksellers. The statement can be read on the IOBA.org website link: https://www.ioba.org/post/an-open-letter-about-book-tariffs
Richard Erdman's IOBA Link is: IOBA Member Directory
Sylvia Petras's IOBA Link is: IOBA Member Directory