Trump announces investigation into furniture imports and prepares tariffs on the sector

President Donald Trump announced on social media this Friday (22) that the United States is conducting a “major tariff investigation on furniture entering the country.” The operation aims to apply specific tariffs to the sector.

“Within the next 50 days, this investigation will be concluded and furniture coming from other countries to the United States will be tariffed at a rate yet to be determined,” he said in the post.

Trump said the measure would revitalize domestic furniture manufacturers in the US, although he did not detail how the investigation was being conducted or how the tariffs would be applied.

"This will bring the furniture industry back to North Carolina, South Carolina, Michigan and states across the Union," he said.

According to Reuters, a US government official said the inquiry is being conducted by the Commerce Department and is part of the investigation into timber and timber products under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.

The rule allows for the imposition of tariffs on goods deemed critical to national security. To do so, the Secretary of Commerce must present the results of any investigation within 270 days of the initiation of the process, which began on March 10.

Trump's decision on how to act on the investigation's information, however, may come after that period.

US furniture industry has been shrinking since the 1970s

Furniture and wood product manufacturing in the United States — which employed 1.2 million people in 1979 — has fallen from 681,000 in the 2000s to 340,000 today, according to U.S. government statistics.

In 2024, the United States imported about $25.5 billion worth of furniture, a 7% increase compared to 2023. Of this total, about 60% originated in Vietnam and China, according to data from Furniture Today , a specialized publication.

In addition to the investigation into the furniture sector, the Commerce Department is already investigating the possibility of tariffs on areas such as pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, aircraft, critical minerals, and medium-duty trucks. To date, Trump has already announced tariffs on steel, aluminum, copper, and automobiles.

Trump did not name countries that may face new tariffs.

The US president's announcement doesn't name any country directly. Brazil, however, is a leading exporter of furniture and wood to the US. Last year, it exported US$249.6 million.

Much of this production comes from the furniture hubs of São Bento do Sul, Campo Alegre, and Rio Negrinho in Santa Catarina. Last year, exports of furniture produced in the region totaled US$123.4 million, with US$77 million of that coming from the US.

The region has 7,000 workers working in 398 industries, 20 of which are exporters. As a result of the tariff hike, approximately 600 of them, employees of four companies, are on collective leave , according to calculations by Siticom-SBS.