By News18,Shuddhanta Patra

Copyright news18

US President Donald Trump has announced a sweeping new round of tariffs targeting imported furniture and wood products, a move he says is designed to revive America’s struggling domestic manufacturing base.
Beginning on 14 October, imports of softwood timber and lumber will face a 10% duty, while kitchen cabinets, vanities, and upholstered wooden products will be subject to a 25% levy. These measures will be further tightened in January, when tariffs on finished wood products are set to rise sharply.
‘Make Carolina GREAT again’
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump singled out North Carolina, once a hub of America’s furniture industry, claiming the state had “completely lost its furniture business to China and other countries”. He wrote, “To make North Carolina GREAT again, I will be imposing substantial tariffs on any country that does not make its furniture in the United States.”
Trump tariff agenda
The latest announcement follows a series of tariffs unveiled earlier this week on a wide range of goods, from pharmaceutical products to heavy trucks. Pharmaceutical imports were hit hardest, with levies of 100%, though Trump clarified that the penalty would not apply to companies actively building manufacturing plants in the United States. He specified that only projects that were “breaking ground” or “under construction” would qualify for exemptions.
Taken together, these moves underscore Trump’s determination to use tariffs not only as a trade weapon but as a tool to reshape industrial policy. His administration has argued that reducing dependency on imports is crucial to strengthening supply chains and bolstering national security.
What did White House say on new tariffs?
A White House proclamation issued on 29 September cited national security concerns as the legal basis for the tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. According to the US Secretary of Commerce, the volume and conditions of wood product imports were “weakening our economy” and threatening the viability of the domestic timber and furniture industries.
According to the report, wood products play a vital role in sectors ranging from defence and energy to transport and communications. They are used in building military infrastructure, missile defence systems, and even components of nuclear re-entry vehicles. The findings warned that the United States’ growing reliance on imports, combined with foreign subsidies and unfair trade practices, was creating vulnerabilities that could undermine national security.
Under the proclamation, the current 25% tariff on finished wooden products such as cabinets and vanities will rise to 50% on 1 January, while duties on upholstered wooden furniture will climb to 30%. However, Washington has pledged to coordinate with close allies such as the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Japan to ensure tariff rates remain capped at lower levels for those partners.
The proclamation also empowers the Commerce Department to expand the scope of the tariffs in future, depending on changes in import flows. Safeguards have been included to prevent undervaluation and tariff circumvention through foreign trade zones.
Meanwhile, for Trump, the message is clear i.e. tariffs remain central to his pledge to “make America great again” by prioritising domestic production over foreign dependence.