Donald Trump has delayed a raft of new tariffs on imported furniture, ordering the postponement mere hours before they were due to take effect. Wood Central understands that the increases — from 25% to 30% and, in some cases, 50% for upholstered wooden furniture, kitchen cabinets, and vanities — had been planned under an earlier tranche of tariffs introduced as part of a broader slate of duties rolled out since Trump returned to the White House.
But amid skyrocketing living costs, households feeling the strain, the White House confirmed that the President had opted to pause the escalation. “Given the ongoing productive negotiations regarding the imports of wood products, the President is delaying the tariff increase to allow for further negotiations to occur with other countries,” it said in a statement.
“Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation invoking Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (Act) to delay increases in tariffs for upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets, and vanities for another year,” the White House said overnight. “The United States will therefore delay the increase in tariff rates for upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets, and vanities that was set to take place on January 1, 2026, under the September 29, 2025, Proclamation for an additional year.”
It comes after the Trump administration imposed new tariffs on imports of timber, lumber, and their derivative products to bolster American industry and protect national security. According to the White House, “This followed the Secretary of Commerce’s completion of a Section 232 investigation under the Act, which found that the present quantities and circumstances of the imports of wood products threatened to impair national security.”
While the administration maintains that overreliance on foreign timber and lumber continues to jeopardise the country’s defence capabilities, construction industry, and economic strength, it said the delay was necessary to support ongoing talks. “Given the ongoing productive negotiations regarding the imports of wood products, the President is delaying the tariff increase to allow for further negotiations to occur with other countries,” it reiterated.
On Wednesday, Wood Central reported that the on‑again, off‑again nature of US tariffs — combined with confusion over the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), skyrocketing import costs, and a decline in demand across China — has created a “perfect storm” for the timber supply chain not just in North America, Europe and China but across the whole world.
- To learn more about the United States’ current tariffs on timber, lumber, and their derivative products, click here to download the White House Fact Sheet.
