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Dec. 3, 2025, 4:22 PM ESTBy Joe MurphyThis year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was chopped down in Rensselaer County, New York.Statistically speaking, that’s unusual.While New York state is one of the 10 leading producers of Christmas trees in the U.S., according to the Department of Agriculture, it accounts for less than 3% of the nation’s cut Christmas tree output.Nationwide, about 1 of every 3 Christmas trees that are cut down are cut down in Oregon.U.S. tree farms cut 14.5 million Christmas trees in 2022, the most-recent year USDA data was available. There are more than 300 million Christmas trees growing on the approximately 15,000 farms in the U.S., according to the National Christmas Tree Association, an industry trade group.Michigan, North Carolina and Oregon have the most land devoted to Christmas tree farms. These farms nationwide cover more than 400 square miles of land — a little less than half Rhode Island’s land area — according to the latest USDA data.

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Michigan, North Carolina and Oregon top the list of Christmas tree-producing states, in both tree farm acreage and cut tree production.



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Dec. 3, 2025, 4:42 PM ESTBy Kayla SteinbergIf you order products from abroad this holiday season, you could end up with an unwanted surprise: a pricey tariff bill.This is the first holiday shopping season since the Trump administration made a major change to customs rules, extending tariffs and customs fees to low-value packages that had long been exempt.Since the new policies went into effect in late August, shoppers have reported being hit with surprise tariff charges on everything from rugs and computers to vitamins — sometimes costing hundreds of dollars.Now, as the busiest shopping season of the year gets underway, the stakes are high for both consumers and retailers. The National Retail Federation estimates that U.S. holiday sales will top $1 trillion for the first time this season, and Adobe Analytics expects shoppers will spend a record $253.4 billion online this holiday season. Shoppers who buy gifts from overseas should be prepared to pay tariffs before they can put their presents under the tree. And those who dispute an unexpected tariff bill should be ready for a potentially monthslong back-and-forth with major shippers — while late fees pile up.The $657 tariff billBonnie Hardy-Compagno thought she’d be paying a standard 15% import duty from Europe when she ordered $431 worth of skincare products in late August that were shipped from Belgium.Instead, when her package arrived via UPS in September, she was told that she owed customs charges and fees that were more than the items were worth.“I was very shocked when it showed up and the delivery driver was like, ‘This is going to be $657 to collect your package,’” said Hardy-Compagno. Hardy-Compagno refused her package of skincare products and reached out to UPS for clarification.The end of the “de minimis” tariff exemption for small packages has inundated shippers like UPS with customs paperwork for shipments that didn’t used to require it. Michael Nagle / Bloomberg via Getty Images fileAccording to forms and emails she received from UPS, the shipping company said the face creams and serums she ordered had triggered a 200% tariff because they contained aluminum that was either from Russia or from an unknown country, as well as a separate 50% steel tariff.“It is chaos trying to get it resolved,” she said. “I’ve been calling at least once a week for two months. I have been emailing.”“They finally sent me a form to fill out about quantities of aluminum in the product, which I have no idea,” she continued. “If you go look at the product to pull up ingredients, it’s just the ingredients that’s in the skincare product.”Last month, UPS sent her another invoice for a $65 late fee. She said the company had also sent the bill to collections.“At this point, I’m like, ‘It would have been cheaper for me to fly to Paris,’” Hardy-Compagno said.Ripple effects around the world For nearly a century, low-value packages have been allowed to enter the United States duty-free, under what’s known as the “de minimis” exemption. Since 2016, that threshold value has been $800.But this summer, President Donald Trump ended the exemption, saying it had been used to bring illegal drugs, including fentanyl, into the United States. Starting Aug. 29, low-value packages shipped to individuals have been subject to the same tariffs and fees as large commercial shipping imports. The change is part of a bigger push by the Trump administration to reshape global trade with a constantly shifting mix of blanket tariff rates on U.S. trade partners and separate tariffs on specific products and materials. The president has said his tariff-based economic policy will boost domestic manufacturing and improve the U.S. economy in the long run. But in the meantime, American businesses and consumers are paying a price.Many U.S. retailers have decided to raise their prices to account for these higher import costs. Some international businesses have stopped shipping to the United States altogether, saying it’s not financially feasible to pay big tariffs in order to ship small items. And several major companies — including Costco, cosmetics giant Revlon and eyeglasses maker EssilorLuxottica — have sued the Trump administration over the tariffs.Chaos at customsThe new requirements for smaller packages have caught consumers in a customs nightmare.Thousands of packages every week are getting stuck in customs limbo at global shipping hubs across the country. UPS, the world’s largest courier, has told some customers that it has been “disposing of” their packages.Packages that do make it through customs clearance and to customers can still arrive with the hefty tariff price tags. And shipping companies typically tack on additional processing fees, too.A UPS worker delivers packages in New York City on Dec. 1.Bess Adler / Bloomberg via Getty ImagesThe factors influencing a shipment’s eventual tariff charges include “where it comes from, what it’s made out of, and what the finished product is classified as,” said John Pickel, vice president of supply chain policy at the National Foreign Trade Council.But these questions are more complicated than they sound.In a statement to NBC News, UPS said, in part: “UPS’s brokers are highly trained and use sophisticated technology to ensure accuracy in calculating the appropriate duty and fees due. If you feel there is an error in the calculation of the duty and taxes assessed to your U.S. import shipment, you can contact the UPS Billing group by using the number listed on your UPS billing invoice or contact the UPS Post Entry Department.”“Our agents are working hard to address every customer’s inquiry as recent tariff policy changes have led to a significant rise in the number of brokerage-related inquiries,” UPS added.How to avoid surprise tariffsRetail experts advise anyone planning to order products from abroad this holiday season to be careful.“If you are ordering overseas, the first thing that I would do is search for that item elsewhere to see if they have a U.S. warehouse, another retailer,” said Trae Bodge, a shopping expert at truetrae.com. “It makes me very nervous to be ordering overseas right now, because it’s kind of all up in the air,” she said. “But if you must have that item and it’s only available overseas, read the fine print, especially at checkout.”Consumers should be on the lookout for labels indicating “delivery duty paid,” or DDP. This typically means shipping costs have been included in the final price of the item. Bodge also recommended searching for any mention on retailers’ websites of tariffs, taxes, shipping fees or other charges.Shoppers can also check to see if the websites list where items are shipping from and reach out to retailers directly for any clarification or additional details.Kayla SteinbergKayla Steinberg is a producer at NBC News covering business and the economy.Vicky Nguyen and Isa Morales contributed.
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Nov. 11, 2025, 12:52 PM ESTBy Mirna Alsharif, Austin Mullen and Aria BendixBaby formula maker ByHeart is recalling all of its products amid an outbreak of infant botulism likely tied to its powdered formula.Since August, 15 cases have been reported across 12 states, nearly all among babies between 16 days and around 5 months old, according to the Food and Drug Administration.After the FDA announced Saturday that it was investigating the outbreak and its link to ByHeart’s organic Whole Nutrition Infant Formula, the company recalled two lots of the product. ByHeart then expanded the recall Tuesday to include all batches of the formula, both in cans and “anywhere packs” — small, sealed pouches.”The safety and well‑being of every infant who uses our formula is, and always will be, our highest priority,” ByHeart’s co-founder and president, Mia Funt, said in a statement. “This nationwide recall reflects our commitment to protecting babies and giving families clear, actionable information. Alongside this recall, we are conducting a comprehensive investigation to do our part to get the answers parents expect and deserve.”Infant botulism arises when babies ingest food contaminated with Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which produce a toxin that affects the body’s nervous system. The infection can cause constipation, poor feeding, loss of head control and difficulty swallowing. Untreated, it can ultimately lead to paralysis and death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. No deaths have been reported in the current outbreak.The FDA said Tuesday that 84 infants nationwide have received treatment for infant botulism since Aug. 1. Of that total, the agency is investigating 15 cases with “suspected or confirmed infant botulism and confirmed exposure to Byheart Whole Nutrition infant formula.” All of those infants were hospitalized.”This information shows that ByHeart brand formula is disproportionately represented among sick infants in this outbreak, especially given that ByHeart represents an estimated 1% of all infant formula sales in the United States,” the FDA said in an update Tuesday. “Investigations remain ongoing but have not identified any other infant formula brands or shared exposures that pose a risk to infants.”The cases linked to ByHeart formula have been reported in Arizona, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington, according to the FDA. The agency instructed parents and caregivers to immediately stop using any ByHeart infant formula products and keep a close eye on children who consumed it recently, as botulism can take weeks to develop. If a child does not develop symptoms within 30 days, the agency says to throw the formula away. If a child does develop symptoms, however, the FDA advises that parents or caregivers hold on to the product for testing. Children who consumed ByHeart formula and are exhibiting possible botulism symptoms should receive immediate medical attention. The New York City-based company said it has invited the FDA and other public health agencies to test unopened cans of its formula to “provide reliable evidence that will help bring clarity to families who are understandably concerned, as currently, no U.S. or imported formula is required to be tested for Clostridium botulinum.”The California Public Health Department was first to report the observed increase in infant botulism cases among babies who consumed ByHeart formula. “As the FDA and CDPH continue their investigations, we stand ready to partner with them at every step, providing full access to our facilities and unopened cans, without restriction,” ByHeart said in an open letter issued Tuesday.Most recalls of infant formula in the past few years have occurred because of potential contamination with a different type of bacteria, Cronobacter sakazakii, which can also be life-threatening in infants. In 2022, Abbott Nutrition, one of the country’s top formula producers, recalled several brands of powdered infant formula after complaints of bacterial infections in infants who consumed the products. The recall contributed to a national formula shortage in 2022.The CDC later determined that Cronobacter infections may have contributed to the deaths of two infants in Ohio but was not able to definitively link the illnesses to contamination at an Abbott facility. Abbott said at the time that there was “no evidence” to demonstrate a link.Mirna AlsharifMirna Alsharif is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.Austin MullenAria BendixAria Bendix is the breaking health reporter for NBC News Digital.
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