Bed industry leaders in Yorkshire are raising the alarm over the potential knock-on effects of new US tariffs on Chinese products, warning that the UK could see a surge in unsafe, non-compliant mattresses entering the market.
The United States recently imposed a 145% import duty on Chinese-manufactured goods, making it increasingly difficult for Chinese exporters to sell there. As a result, manufacturers are expected to turn to alternative markets, including the UK. In February 2025 alone, the UK imported over £6.8 million worth of mattresses from China, a 42% increase from the previous month.
“There is no doubt that we will see a rise in Chinese produced mattresses coming into British and Irish ports where we have much lower duties for importers than now in the US, and these will be in direct competition to those products made in the region to exacting UK standards,” said Fara Butt, director at Dewsbury-based Shire Beds and board director at the National Bed Federation (NBF).
“Yorkshire has a really important cluster in the sleep sector, employing a significant number of people in manufacturing, retail and their supply chain. The work of the NBF, based in Skipton, ensures that NBF members manufacture safe, clean and compliant mattresses giving the UK consumer peace of mind. Retailers also know that when they sell a mattress made by an NBF member, they are offering a product that meets UK standards and that they are supporting British and Irish jobs, many of which are in Yorkshire.”
The National Bed Federation, which works closely with Trading Standards, is urging consumers to be cautious, especially when buying mattresses from online marketplaces such as Amazon or Facebook, where regulation is less consistent.
Tristine Hargreaves, executive director of the NBF, said: “We already know that when people have less money in their pockets, they are tempted to buy what can appear to be ‘bargain’ mattresses. Unfortunately, we are expecting a wave of products to hit the UK as a result of the overnight shift in export markets for Chinese manufacturers, many of whom already had products manufactured for the US market where product safety standards, in particular flammability, can be different from the UK and may result in non-compliant products on the market.”
“More than ever, people buying products from online marketplaces such as Facebook and Amazon should be very careful to do their due diligence and be 100% sure that the products they are buying are bona fide and meet UK standards. The old adage that if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is comes to mind.”
“It’s a false economy to buy a cheaper product that is likely to last a fraction of the time of mattresses that meet the NBF’s stringent standards, so consumers need to look out for the ‘made by an approved NBF member’ logo which gives peace of mind that the products meet all of the UK’s regulatory standards.”
Consumers looking for guidance on safe, compliant mattress purchases and independent bed-buying advice can visit www.bedadvice.co.uk.
