Trump Announces 10% Lumber Tariff and 25% Duties on Cabinets and Furniture, Impacting Canadian Producers

Washington D.C., The Gulf Observer: U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that his administration will impose new tariffs on imported timber, lumber, and certain furniture products, marking the latest in a series of trade measures targeting global trading partners.

Under the presidential proclamation, 10 per cent tariffs will be applied to imported timber and lumber, while duties on kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, and upholstered furniture will begin at 25 per cent. The measures are scheduled to take effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on October 14. Tariffs are set to increase on January 1, 2026, to 30 per cent for upholstered wooden products and 50 per cent for kitchen cabinets and vanities for countries that have not reached trade agreements with the United States.

The proclamation cites national security concerns under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1974, arguing that U.S. reliance on imported wood products threatens domestic production, disrupts supply chains, and endangers the country’s capacity to meet demand for defense and critical infrastructure projects. The statement notes that wood products are used in housing and storage for personnel and materiel, transporting munitions, and as components in missile-defense and nuclear re-entry systems.

Canada, the largest softwood lumber supplier to the U.S., is expected to be most affected, despite already facing combined anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs of about 35 per cent. The Canadian government has pledged up to $1.2 billion in aid to domestic producers to mitigate the impact. Other countries, including Mexico and Vietnam, have emerged as major furniture suppliers following earlier U.S. tariffs on Chinese products.

Trump’s proclamation allows limited exemptions for countries with existing trade agreements. Tariffs on wood products from the United Kingdom will be capped at 10 per cent, and duties on imports from the European Union and Japan at 15 per cent. No mention was made of a July trade agreement with Vietnam that set a 20 per cent tariff rate.

The new tariffs have drawn criticism from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which warned that restrictions on timber, lumber, and related products could raise costs for businesses and home construction, while undermining the competitiveness of U.S. paper and related industries.