Experts are bracing themselves for a rise in the number of potentially unsafe, non-compliant mattresses being shipped to the UK following the huge import duties the US has placed on Chinese products, which could also erode sales of legitimate products made in the region.
The new 145% tariffs on Chinese-manufactured products will lead to many Chinese exporters seeking new markets such as the UK to replace the US which is now unviable, and the UK already imported over £6.8m worth of Chinese-made mattresses in February 2025, a number that grew by 42% over the previous month as the threat of tariffs loomed.
“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 bed manufacturer Shire Beds, and board director at the National Bed Federation.
“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 NBF works closely with Trading Standards and is warning consumers to be mindful of buying products that do not meet UK regulations and standards.
Tristine Hargreaves, executive director of the NBF added; “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 of 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 who wish to find out more and receive independent bed-buying advice should visit www.bedadvice.co.uk.