Trump On Tariff Investigation Into Furniture Imports: Bring ‘Business Back’ To U.S.
President Donald Trump announced Friday that his administration will initiate a sweeping tariff investigation into imported furniture, signaling a major move to revive U.S.-based manufacturing and protect the domestic industry.
“Furniture coming from other Countries into the United States will be Tariffed at a Rate yet to be determined,” Trump said on Truth Social. “This will bring the Furniture Business back to North Carolina, South Carolina, Michigan, and States all across the Union.”
The probe, which will be conducted under the Section 232 national security statute, is expected to conclude within 50 days, though similar reviews have historically taken much longer. The investigation could become a fallback legal strategy for existing tariffs already under judicial scrutiny.
Immediate Market Reaction
Following Trump’s announcement, shares of luxury furniture retailer RH — formerly Restoration Hardware — dropped 7.5% in after-hours trading.
Industry data shows U.S. furniture imports totaled $25.5 billion in 2024, with nearly 60% coming from Vietnam and China. Trump’s new initiative aims to challenge that reliance and rebuild America’s once-robust furniture sector.
Reviving a Declining Industry
In 1979, over 1.2 million Americans were employed in the furniture and wood products industry. That number has dwindled to 340,000 in 2024, after years of offshoring production to lower-cost countries. Trump’s move is part of a broader plan to bring back industrial jobs and strengthen economic self-sufficiency.
Economic Impact and Pushback
While tariffs can protect domestic industries, they also often drive up consumer prices. In July alone, home furnishings prices rose 0.7%, in part due to earlier rounds of tariffs. Critics argue this latest move could accelerate price hikes.
The American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA), based in High Point, North Carolina, has opposed similar measures in the past. In comments to the Commerce Department in April, AHFA wrote:
“There is no rational relationship between imports of wood products or furniture and the national security of the United States. No amount of tariffs will bring back American furniture manufacturing back to its prior levels. Tariffs will harm manufacturing still being done in the United States.”
Broader Strategy on Tariffs
Trump’s move against furniture follows Thursday’s announcement of a national security probe into imported wind turbines. His administration has launched similar Section 232 investigations into critical imports such as semiconductors, heavy trucks, copper, timber, pharmaceuticals, and drones.
A recent trade arrangement with the European Union has shielded EU aircraft, generic drugs, and pharmaceutical precursors from any new tariffs, while capping others at 15%. But countries like China, Vietnam, and Mexico remain squarely in the crosshairs of Trump’s expanding economic nationalism.
As the 50-day clock ticks down on the furniture review, manufacturers and importers alike are bracing for the next chapter in Trump’s high-stakes trade overhaul.