The White House announced a new wave of tariffs on Monday that will impact North Carolina’s furniture industry.
In a social media post, President Donald Trump singled out North Carolina when announcing the latest round of tariffs, saying the state has lost its furniture industry to China. He added that any country making furniture outside of the U.S. would face substantial tariffs.
The latest round includes 25 percent duties on kitchen cabinets and vanities; that figure will double in January. Upholstered furniture tariffs will also start at 25 percent, but only increase by 5 percent.
The American Kitchen Cabinet Alliance praised the move. In a release, the group says unfairly traded imports are threatening U.S. cabinetmakers.
Trump indicated last week that the move was coming. The next day, Peter Theran, CEO of the High Point-based Home Furnishings Association, said in a web post that the tariffs “present both challenges and questions” for retailers.
He said the higher costs could be passed on to consumers, which would threaten demand.