financetom
Business
financetom
/
Business
/
Trump's furniture tariffs hit importers in latest trade salvo
News World Market Environment Technology Personal Finance Politics Retail Business Economy Cryptocurrency Forex Stocks Market Commodities
Trump's furniture tariffs hit importers in latest trade salvo
Sep 29, 2025 6:40 AM

(Corrects Sept. 26 to show that Aaron Zagha is the chief marketing officer of Newton Baby, not CEO, in paragraph 15)

By Aishwarya Venugopal, Neil J Kanatt and Helen Reid

(Reuters) -Shares of U.S.-based furniture companies that rely on imports slipped on Friday as President Donald Trump's latest tariff salvo targeted couches and cabinets and analysts reiterated warnings about the longer-term effects of likely price rises.

Trump announced a 50% tariff on imported kitchen cabinets and vanities, along with a 30% levy on upholstered furniture, which are set to take effect on October 1.

Initially, companies that produce domestically like La-Z-Boy ( LZB ) and Ethan Allen jumped on the news. But importers also pared some early losses, as the broader market shrugged off the new duties, announced in conjunction with tariffs on imported trucks and branded pharmaceuticals.

The import duties will make it more challenging for companies to hold down prices, while executives in the industry have raised concerns over the lack of manufacturing capacity in the United States, as the country relies heavily on imports from China, Mexico and Vietnam.

Chief executives at Williams-Sonoma ( WSM ) and RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, have both raised that concern in recent earnings calls. Williams-Sonoma's ( WSM ) shares fell nearly 2% on Friday, while those of RH were down 4%. 

Scaling up domestic production "would require years of investments in building the facilities and workforce that most in this industry cannot afford to make," RH CEO Gary Friedman had said earlier this month.

Companies with a heavier U.S. presence were in better shape. Shares of the La-Z-Boy ( LZB ) gained about 2%, while Ethan Allen Interiors ( ETD ) was up 1.8%.

"We will continue to evaluate its impact, but believe our strong manufacturing presence in North America should help us navigate these challenges," Ethan Allen CEO Farooq Kathwari said.

The company makes about 75% of its products in North America.

Wayfair ( W ), Williams-Sonoma ( WSM ), La-Z-Boy ( LZB ) and RH did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

"La-Z-Boy ( LZB ) and Ethan Allen could benefit if they are able to hold pricing while others raise prices, and because of potentially better availability of products," Michael Gunther, vice president, head of insights at Consumer Edge, said.

Jurgita Radzevičė, CEO at SBA Home, a Lithuanian furniture manufacturer that supplies Swedish furniture retailer IKEA, said that it isn't clear what tariffs would apply to its exports to the United States.

"We do not know whether the new tariffs will be added to the existing ones or replace them, and how they will be applied to European businesses in practice," she said, noting that they were finalizing a furniture factory project in North Carolina.

Privately held baby furniture company Newton Baby said it would have to raise the prices of its $600 cribs that are manufactured in Vietnam, depending on the overall tariff rate, Chief Marketing Officer Aaron Zagha said.

"There's very few cribs made in the USA."

The company also sources products from Thailand, Turkey, India and Pakistan.

Arin Schultz, chief growth officer at privately held mattress and furniture company Naturepedic, said the company is holding off on an order of upholstered headboards from India after Trump's announcement.

"We're definitely going to have to raise prices from where we were intending on launching the product," Schultz said of the upholstered headboards. 

Shares of online retailer Wayfair ( W ), which relies heavily on imports from China and Vietnam, were little changed. 

Prices for everything from clothes to TVs have gone up in recent months as manufacturers and retailers struggle with the ever-changing tariff environment while also trying to offset rising commodity and supply-chain costs.

"Tariffs take time to trickle down to consumers. Most holiday goods will be imported before October 1, so the new duties are unlikely to dent sales. But they add another hurdle for home improvement and home furnishings retailers, already grappling with a stagnant housing market," eMarketer's Zak Stambor said. 

Comments
Welcome to financetom comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Related Articles >
Sam Altman's OpenAI Targets Up To $1 Trillion Valuation In Historic IPO After Major Restructuring And California Approval: Report
Sam Altman's OpenAI Targets Up To $1 Trillion Valuation In Historic IPO After Major Restructuring And California Approval: Report
Oct 29, 2025
OpenAI is reportedly laying the groundwork for a potential initial public offering that could value the ChatGPT maker at up to $1 trillion, marking what could become one of the largest IPOs in history. OpenAI Reportedly Weighs 2026 Or 2027 IPO Amid Soaring AI Momentum OpenAI is exploring the possibility of filing with securities regulators as early as the second...
Australia's Lynas Rare Earths says demand is strong as revenue jumps
Australia's Lynas Rare Earths says demand is strong as revenue jumps
Oct 29, 2025
MELBOURNE (Reuters) -First-quarter revenue at Australia's Lynas Rare Earths ( LYSCF ) rose by 66% from a year earlier, the company said on Thursday, but missed market expectations, though it flagged strong demand from existing and emerging customers for strategic metals. Governments outside dominant rare earths producer China have been scrambling to develop an alternative supply pipeline for industries including...
M2 Compliance Reports Record 2025 IPO Growth Ahead of ThinkEquity Conference 2025
M2 Compliance Reports Record 2025 IPO Growth Ahead of ThinkEquity Conference 2025
Oct 29, 2025
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, Oct. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- M2 Compliance, LLC (M2 Compliance), a leading full-service SEC filing and financial-disclosure agency providing complete solutions for EDGAR, iXBRL, proxy, and financial-printing requirements, today announced record IPO and registration-statement activity during 2025 as it prepares to participate as a sponsor of the ThinkEquity Conference 2025, taking place on October 30, 2025,...
Australia's Lynas Rare Earths says demand is strong as revenue jumps
Australia's Lynas Rare Earths says demand is strong as revenue jumps
Oct 29, 2025
* Lynas revenue of A$200.2 million misses consensus * Will start producing samarium in 1H 2026 calendar year * Lynas notes strong demand from emerging customer base (Adds CEO comments in paragraphs 5,11,16, analyst comment in paragraphs 7-8, background in paragraphs 12-15) By Melanie Burton MELBOURNE, Oct 30 (Reuters) - First-quarter revenue at Australia's Lynas Rare Earths ( LYSCF )...
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.financetom.com All Rights Reserved