Tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump have surprised U.S. shoppers by applying even to used goods, such as secondhand luxury items bought online from overseas, significantly raising their final costs.

Online marketplaces are urging the government to exempt secondhand imports from these duties, arguing they support sustainability and don’t threaten domestic manufacturing.

Historians say used imports, from ancient jewelry to outdated smartphones, have always been subject to U.S. tariffs. But Trump has applied tariffs to many more countries and raised rates to historically high levels. 

“We’ve never had a situation like this before,” says Andrew Wender Cohen, professor of history. He says a reasonable approach would be to maintain tariffs on used items but at lower rates that would be commensurate with the risk posed to domestic manufacturing.

Read more in the WIRED article, “eBay and Vestiaire Collective Want an Exemption from Trump’s Tariffs.”