FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 8, 2025
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New Furniture Tariffs Expected to Drive Up Costs for Families and Small Businesses
The cost of building, and now furnishing, new homes are more expensive thanks to the Trump Administration’s tariffs. Last week, President Trump signed an executive order imposing new tariffs on furniture and kitchen cabinet imports that will take effect October 14.
Under the order:
Upholstered wooden products—including couches, sofas, and chairs—will be hit with a 25% tariff, rising to 30% on January 1, 2026.
Kitchen cabinets, vanities, and related parts will face a 25% tariff, increasing to 50% in January 2026.
Since April, the Trump Administration has imposed across-the-board tariffs of 10%–50% on nearly all imports, with higher rates for dozens of countries and industries. The average tariff rate now tops 17.9%, the highest since 1934.
● USA Today | ‘Total turmoil’ as Trump tariffs slam home-goods industry, consumers
“A lot of companies are just discontinuing or closing out a lot of their product,” said Barbara Karpf, founder and president of DecoratorsBest. “They’re selling less product and the companies abroad are stuck with products in production, and some things are in transit, and are going to sit in warehouses.”
Even if some companies are open to the idea of reshoring manufacturing, there’s no way to start production in a matter of months, let alone by Oct. 1. Some of Karpf’s contacts have researched the possibility, only to learn that the machinery they would need is now prohibitively expensive thanks to earlier tariffs. Some are discontinuing various product lines, and others are cutting workers or closing altogether.
● Wall Street Journal | Invasion of the Killer Ikea Sofas
The trouble is that his metal tariffs, which he made even more punitive this year, are hurting U.S. manufacturers of hundreds of products. Furniture manufacturers are having to pay more for imported steel, aluminum, timber and upholstery. Trucking companies are placing fewer orders for new big rigs because of the slowdown in trade. Building permits for new housing units have fallen 11% over the last year, which home builders attribute to tariff uncertainty..
● Furniture Today | Furniture feels the pinch as PMI continues slide in September
Imports fell across 10 industries, including furniture, as tariff-related price increases cut into demand. Furniture was also listed among industries reporting lower inventories, a sign that firms may be struggling to replenish stock at prior levels.
● Interior Daily | US furniture imports dip amid tariff uncertainty
Tariffs dominated discussions in the first half of 2025, yet total US household furniture imports fell 3% year-on-year to $12.238 billion, rather than surge ahead of potential levies.
● Newsweek | Ikea Responds to Trump’s Furniture Tariffs
“Our goal is to offer affordable, good-quality home furnishings to everyone,” the Swedish company told Newsweek. “In our experience across the markets we operate in, tariffs make these ambitions more difficult.”
● New York Times | Trump Officials Flesh Out Tariffs on Kitchen Cabinets, Furniture and Timber
Tariffs on furniture and kitchen cabinets appear likely to weigh on American consumers, as well as home buyers and home builders, a segment of the economy the Trump administration has talked about stimulating. Vietnam, China and Mexico are all significant suppliers of furniture and kitchen cabinets.
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Tariffs Cost US is a new campaign dedicated to providing the public with reliable, comprehensive information about global trade and tariffs, and their impact on both businesses and consumers.
