US Tariff Shifts Put Sauna Imports from Europe Under Growing Pressure
By Arlene Scott
Senior Wellness Correspondent & Hospitality Consultant
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A temporary 10% import surcharge and Section 232 timber duties are raising costs for North American distributors who depend on Finnish and Baltic supply chains.
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The US sauna industry is facing a new cost reality. A combination of broad tariffs on EU-origin goods and Section 232 duties on timber products has raised import costs on the heaters, controls, and thermally modified wood that form the backbone of premium sauna construction in North America. For an industry that sources heavily from Finland, Estonia, and Latvia, the pricing impact is hard to avoid.
What changed
Since February 24, 2026, most imports, EU-origin goods included, have carried a temporary 10% surcharge under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. It replaced the IEEPA tariffs the Supreme Court struck down and runs for 150 days, according to the proclamation, which applies it in addition to existing duties. Section 232 tariffs on timber and wood products, which took effect in late 2025, add further duties that affect thermally modified lumber imports. These measures are not sauna-specific, but sauna products sit squarely in the crosshairs because of where they’re made and what they’re made from.
The relevant HTS codes span electric sauna heaters (8516.29, with a base duty of 3.7%), prefabricated sauna cabins (9406.10, base duty 2.6%), and various thermally modified timber classifications under Chapter 44. The layering of the broad surcharge on top of existing product-specific duties is what’s creating the squeeze.
One of the largest European manufacturers selling into the US market has publicly confirmed the margin impact. On Harvia’s Q3 2025 earnings call, CEO Matias Järnefelt acknowledged that the tariff regime was lifting unit costs for the company’s US business.
“Tariffs also apply higher cost of goods sold due to tariffs and currency exchange rates.” Matias Järnefelt, CEO, Harvia Plc, Q3 2025 earnings call, 6 November 2025
Asked how aggressively the company would pass those costs through, Järnefelt described the posture as cautious: “It’s also a little bit of a balancing act, what’s the right strategy and right pace?” In the Q4 2025 call three months later, he confirmed Harvia had nudged prices: “We can push our gross margin through price increases, which we have been actually doing during 2025.”
The surcharge does not apply to Canadian-made products that enter duty-free under USMCA, or to goods already covered by Section 232 duties.
Industry impact
Finnish and Estonian manufacturers dominate the premium sauna heater segment in the US. Harvia, HUUM, Narvi, and IKI are all based in Finland or Estonia, and their heaters are widely sold through US specialty dealers. Latvia and Estonia are also major sources of thermally modified wood used in sauna construction.
Consumer pricing outlook
The impact on retail prices is likely to be most pronounced in the premium segment, where Finnish-manufactured products dominate. Harvia has said it raised prices during 2025, and options for sourcing high-end heaters outside Europe remain limited.
Trade policy between the US and EU remains fluid, with ongoing Section 301 investigations covering 16 economies expected to produce results by mid-2026. The sauna industry has no dedicated trade lobby in Washington, which leaves it particularly exposed to broad-based tariff actions. SaunaNews will continue tracking developments as they affect pricing and sourcing across the supply chain.
The cumulative weight of US trade policy is raising costs on European sauna imports. Distributors who haven’t already modeled for higher landed costs should start now.
