Trump Announces New Wood Import Tariff
On Monday, President Trump revealed a 10% tariff on wood imports, pushing back tariffs of 25% on kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, and upholstered furniture by two weeks. The updated deadline for these duties is now set for October 14.
In a statement from the White House, Trump provided more context about the tariff initiative, which he had initially teased in a social media update last week. However, he has yet to elaborate on the proposed tariffs for pharmaceuticals and heavy trucks.
The president cautioned that starting January 1, 2026, tariffs on upholstered furniture would increase to 30%, with bathroom vanity tariffs surging to 50%, unless foreign nations can negotiate trade agreements.
As is common with Trump’s tariff policies, he cited national security as the rationale for these import taxes. There’s also a pending Supreme Court ruling regarding the legitimacy of his presidential powers in this case, following two lower courts rejecting many of his import tax measures.
The Trump administration has expressed concerns that the influx of coniferous wood imports is harming the U.S. economy, pointing to the closures of domestic timber mills.
The declaration reads, “Wood products are crucial across many sectors, supporting national defense, infrastructure, and economic stability in the U.S.” It stresses the need for a strong manufacturing base in the timber sector to ensure national security.
This development poses a serious challenge for Canada, the largest supplier of coniferous wood to the U.S., which is already contending with an approximately 35% anti-dumping tariff.
Canada is actively seeking to negotiate a lower tariff rate with the U.S. Meanwhile, the Canadian government has announced plans to allocate up to $1.2 billion, or $870 million, to support its wood manufacturers.
Trump highlighted that the UK, the European Union, and Japan have already established trade deals with the U.S. and “benefit from more favorable terms.” Currently, the import tariffs on wood from the UK are capped at 10%, while those from the EU and Japan do not exceed 15%.
His announcement didn’t reference a previous agreement from July, which set a 20% tariff rate. This deal hasn’t been formally documented yet.
Back in 2018, during his initial term, Trump imposed 25% tariffs on Chinese furniture, while countries like Mexico and Vietnam have become increasingly significant suppliers since then.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce voiced strong opposition to these timber import tariffs while the Commerce Department reviewed their national security implications.
In April, the Chamber stated, “Importing these goods does not pose national security risks.” They argued that imposing tariffs on such products would inflate costs for U.S. businesses and home construction, detrimental to the successful exports of the U.S. paper sector and many U.S. communities.
