U.S. Confirms Sport-Hunted Trophies Are Exempt from New Import Tariffs
Good News for Hunters: U.S. Confirms Sport-Hunted Trophies Are Exempt from New Import Tariffs
If you've been worried about potential headaches when shipping your hard-earned trophies back home to the U.S., here's a win for the hunting community.
Safari Club International (SCI) has confirmed that personal sport-hunted trophies imported into the United States are officially exempt from the latest tariffs placed on foreign goods. This clarification comes straight from the updated 2025 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (Revision 6), released by the U.S. International Trade Commission.
What This Means for Hunters
If you're a U.S. citizen or resident returning from an international hunting trip, your trophies—whether it's a moose, whitetail, kudu, or even fish and birds—are still classified under Tariff Code 9804.00.55. This section clearly exempts non-commercial trophies brought back by the hunter from any duties or additional tariffs.
Even better, Chapter 99 of the tariff schedule reinforces that the goods listed in Chapter 98 (which includes hunting trophies) are exempt from any new or additional tariffs.
This announcement answers a lot of the recent questions from international outfitters, taxidermists, and shipping agents about whether the new U.S. import tariffs would impact trophy shipments. The answer: they won’t—at least for now.
“This development ensures that the shipping process for sport-hunted trophies will remain uninterrupted by the recent tariff changes, helping to streamline logistics and reduce additional costs for shipments,” explains Michael Coppersmith, national coordinator for Coppersmith Global Logistics and a proud SCI sponsor.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
While this exemption applies to personally hunted trophies, be cautious about what else you’re shipping:
Items not hunted by the individual, such as purchased trophies or other animal products, may still be taxed.
Other goods in the same shipment, like curios, furniture, or art, may also trigger tariffs.
If you're currently arranging a shipment, it's a good idea to check in with your shipping agent to ensure everything is categorized correctly under the exemption.
This is not legal advice, and tariff rules can change at any time. For further questions or assistance, SCI members can reach out to the Hunter Information Service at:
📧 hunterhotline@safariclub.org