Tariffs keep longtime galleries away from Salon Art + Design, director says

Several galleries that had exhibited at Salon Art + Design did not return for this year's fair amid tariff-related costs and uncertainty, the fair's executive director told Urgent Matter.

"Interestingly, tariffs haven't necessarily changed what our international galleries are bringing to Salon, but they have affected who has been able to participate," Nicky Dessources said in written answers to questions sent through the fair's publicists.

At least 13 exhibitors that listed a base outside the United States on the 2025 exhibitor list are not on Salon's 2026 list, a comparison of the two lists shows. Six of the 13 also list a U.S. location.

The seven based only abroad are Gallery FUMI and Charles Burnand Gallery of London, the British jewelry gallery Elisabetta Cipriani, Mia Karlova Galerie of Amsterdam, Craftica Gallery of Warsaw, Rosior of Portugal and Sceners Gallery of France. FUMI said in 2019 that it was showing at Salon for the fourth year in a row.

None of the 13 are on rival Collectible New York's 2026 exhibitor list. FUMI's website shows it exhibited at the FOG Design+Art fair in San Francisco this year.

The 2026 list also includes at least 11 exhibitors based abroad that were not on the 2025 list, among them the Milan gallery Sofia Zevi, the Paris jeweler Mellerio and Studio Renn of India.

The newest round of U.S. tariffs, effective July 24, exempts works of art, collectors' pieces and antiques classified under Chapter 97 of the U.S. tariff schedule. Antiques must be more than 100 years old to fall under that chapter. Furniture, lamps, glass and jewelry are classified in other chapters.

Imported upholstered wooden furniture carries a separate 25% tariff that President Donald Trump imposed in September 2025. The rate will rise to 30% on January 1, 2027, under a proclamation Trump signed December 31, 2025, which delayed the increase by a year.

Most products from the European Union, including Italy and France, now pay total duties of at least 10% because the action the U.S. Trade Representative announced July 23 raises any lower regular rate to that level.

Most goods from the United Kingdom and India carry an extra 10% on top of their regular rate, and goods from Israel an extra 12.5%. Most Swiss goods now face total duties of at least 12.5%.

Brazilian goods carry the 12.5% rate and, under a separate action that took effect July 22, a 25% tariff with its own exemptions. Bossa Furniture and jeweler Fernando Jorge, both on this year's list, name Brazil as one of their bases. U.S. customs sets the rate by where an object was made.

More than half of the dealers surveyed for the Art Basel and UBS Art Market Report 2026 said taxes, duties and extra paperwork weighed on their businesses in 2025. The report estimated dealers' operating costs climbed 5% on average and fairs generated 35% of dealer sales, more than any year since 2022.

"There are certainly pressures around the costs of participating, particularly for international exhibitors, and we're very conscious of the commitment that coming to Salon represents," Dessources said.

She said many dealers reported strong sales on opening night alone and that she was eager to see the results after the fair closes.

"Of course, we want our galleries to have strong sales during the fair, but success also includes the introductions and relationships that lead to acquisitions or commissions afterward," she said.

At Collectible New York, which ran the same week uptown, the Polish government paid about 71% of the Warsaw gallery Objekt's fair budget, Urgent Matter previously reported. Co-founder Marcin Studniarek said the grants made the trip possible since shipping to the United States is expensive.

Mark de la Vega, founder of the Brooklyn furniture studio De La Vega, showed in one of the Armory's historic rooms at Salon last year and has a booth on the main floor this year.

Mark de la Vega brings quill chairs to Salon after fire

The Brooklyn designer got his booth when another exhibitor dropped out.

Urgent MatterAdam Schrader

"We only got the booth two weeks ago," de la Vega said. "They called us and said someone dropped out. We weren't going to do the show."

He did not say which exhibitor had dropped out or why.

De la Vega said a handful of friends told him last year was their slowest year ever.

"But I can't say that for us," he said. "We're booming."

De la Vega said people were “straight up shopping” on Friday and he sold three beds in an hour.

"Just walking around this morning, I hear everybody talking about the stock market," he said. "I have no idea about the stock market."

At LES Collection, a New York gallery with one of the fair's special design exhibitions, founder Lauren Sands said half of the pieces by Gianfranco Briceño, a Peruvian ceramicist based in São Paulo, sold. Sculptor Richard Baronio's pieces at the booth are made to order.

"We've had a lot of interest from designers," Sands said.

Haas, who was staffing the booth of the Milan gallery Sofia Zevi, said the gallery was showing at Salon for the first time.

"She's thinking about opening maybe another space in New York because she's originally from here," Haas said of the gallery's founder.

Asked about sales, Haas said, "People are really excited about the back studios and also the Murano glass frames." The gallery's price list shows lights by the design duo The Back Studio at $13,500 to $20,000 and 1930s glass frames by Carlo Scarpa for Venini at $10,000 to $12,000.

Jasmine Bapic of Charles Oudin, a Paris watch and jewelry house founded in 1797 that is exhibiting at Salon for the first time, was asked whether shipping from France had been difficult.

“We deal direct mostly so it's not a problem at all," Bapic said.

Dessources said Salon is still interested in Texas after postponing a Dallas edition. Salon had announced that fair for March 26 to 30, 2025, at the Block House.

"It was disappointing, particularly given the enthusiasm and support we received, but we felt it was important to take the time to get it right," Dessources said. "Dallas remains very much a market we're interested in."

Urgent Matter is reader-supported. Please consider subscribing to support independent arts journalism.