Trade row raises specter of funeral fees increase

As John Prine sings in his hit song Dear Abby: “Every side I get up on is the wrong side of the bed, if it weren’t so expensive, I’d wish I were dead.”

Turns out it is pretty pricey to die in the United States.

According to the National Funerals Director Association, the median cost of an adult funeral with viewing and burial in 2017 was $7,360, and that only covers fees for a casket (the single most expensive item in a funeral service), removal or transfer of remains to a funeral home and service cars.

If a vault is included, something often required by cemeteries, the price tag could reach as high as $8,508.

And as US-China trade disputes escalate, US citizens might face even higher prices for burying their loved ones.

“In my opinion, this is a tax that the consumers pay,” said Jim Malamas, owner of ACE Funeral Products in Las Vegas, which sells metal and wood caskets, as well as urns, to funeral homes across North America.

The initial round of tariffs between China and the US resulted in the imposition of 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion worth of products from both countries.

The US Trade Representative announced the imposition of up to 25 percent additional duties on $200 billion worth of products on July 10. That list targets everyday products from CD cases to candles and coffins.

Malamas, whose company is one of the biggest importers of Chinese caskets in the US, said customers could save between $500 to $1,000 on caskets imported from China, because the Chinese manufacturers usually have cheaper labor costs compared to US companies.

The price for an imported Chinese casket, might run between $500 to $700. A similar US-made coffin could be as high as $1,500 to $2,500.

Malamas expects funeral homes, which buy caskets from manufacturers, to be the first ones to feel the effects of the tariffs, if they go into effect.

“You need a gross profit margin to make sure you pay your bills and pay your overhead costs and your variable costs,” Malamas said, “and if your costs go up, you have to increase your pricing for your customers.”