According to an AFP report on January 1, a policy to raise tariffs on certain imported furniture in the United States had originally been scheduled to take effect at midnight on Wednesday, but President Trump announced beforehand that the implementation of the policy would be postponed by one year.

The postponed tariff policy involves two categories of goods: some upholstered furniture, for which the import tariff will rise to 30 percent, and custom kitchen cabinets, for which the tariff will rise to 50 percent. The new effective date has been adjusted to January 2027.

The White House issued a statement on Wednesday evening announcing the decision. The statement said, "Given the positive progress currently being made in negotiations surrounding imports of timber-related products, the president has decided to postpone the tariff increase in order to conduct further consultations with other countries."

In October 2025, Trump introduced a new industry tariff policy, imposing an additional 10 percent tariff on imported construction timber and an additional 25 percent tariff on imported furniture and custom kitchen cabinets. He claimed that the move was intended to protect related domestic industries in the United States.

Stephen Brown of Capital Economics told AFP that Vietnam is the main victim of this increase in furniture tariffs, with furniture exports accounting for nearly 10 percent of Vietnam's total exports to the United States.

Trump regards tariff policy as a core pillar of his trade policy and also uses it as a diplomatic tool. In his view, tariff policy can be used both to balance trade between the United States and other countries and to pressure neighboring Canada and Mexico to intensify efforts against cross-border drug smuggling and illegal immigration.

However, the US Supreme Court is currently reviewing the legality of some tariff policies, and the relevant ruling is expected soon.

Source: Reference News