Trump postpones tariff increase on upholstered furniture, cabinets and dressers for a year
A "fact brief" released by the White House on Wednesday shows that U.S. President Donald Trump has postponed the new tariffs on upholstered furniture, cabinets and dressers by one year, to take effect in 2027.
Trump signed an announcement just hours before the end of 2025, postponing the tariff increases on these goods, which were originally scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026. In September last year, Trump ordered new 25% tariffs on cabinets and upholstered furniture. These tariffs took effect in October, with plans to raise them to 50% and 30% respectively by 2026.
The announcement on Wednesday delayed the significant tariff increases, temporarily maintaining the tariffs at 25% for these goods. The "fact brief" stated: "The United States will continue to have productive negotiations with trade partners to address trade parity and national security issues related to the import of wood products."
The Trump administration has faced increasing criticism for its inability to stabilize prices, partly because since its inception at the start of 2025, the government has imposed tariffs on many goods. Even before the 25% tariff on furniture, prices had already soared due to tariffs on most goods from the two major furniture import sources - China and Vietnam.
Despite growing concerns among American families about the cost of living, Trump continues to blame the Biden administration for inflation, while arguing in recent speeches that tariffs may eventually lower Americans' living costs. The White House's "fact brief" on Wednesday did not directly explain the reason for postponing the tariff increases.
In September, Trump defended the tariffs on these wood products and timber by citing national security, claiming the move was to protect the domestic timber industry. Previously, he ordered the U.S. Department of Commerce to conduct an investigation into imported timber under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, and announced these tariffs after the investigation concluded.
Months before making this decision in September, Trump repeatedly criticized Canada for exporting large amounts of timber to the United States, claiming that these exports posed a potential national security threat given that most imported timber comes from the country's northern neighbor.
Source: rfi
Original: toutiao.com/article/1853164321231880/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.