Trump pushes back tariff hike on furniture, kitchen cabinets by a year

President Donald Trump put the brakes on looming tariff hikes for upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities, backing off steeper levies just hours before they were set to hit as voter frustration over high prices continues to simmer.The White House published a fact sheet late Wednesday detailing a presidential proclamation that delays the increases by a year, to Jan.1, 2027.“The United States continues to engage in productive negotiations with trade partners to address trade reciprocity and national security concerns with respect to imports of wood products,” the fact sheet explained.Under a September proclamation, Trump ordered tariffs on “certain upholstered furniture” to rise to 30% from 25%, while tariffs on kitchen cabinets and vanities were set to double to 50%.Wednesday’s proclamation, which came as Trump hosted a New Year’s Eve party at his Mar-a-Lago, Fla., estate, halts that escalation for now.The existing 25% tariff on all three product categories will remain in place, the White House said.The delay eases the pace of Trump’s trade levies at a moment when price levels remain a sensitive political issue, particularly for household goods tied closely to consumer spending and home improvement.Furniture and cabinetry are large-ticket purchases for many families, and industry executives have warned that higher tariffs would be passed along quickly in the form of higher retail prices.The White House framed the delay as part of a broader negotiating strategy rather than a retreat from its trade agenda.“Given the ongoing productive negotiations regarding the imports of wood products, the President is delaying the tariff increase to allow for further negotiations to occur with other countries. ,” the fact sheet said.That language suggests talks could yield agreements that further defer or reshape the planned tariff increases before the new 2027 deadline.By structuring tariffs in phases, the White House previously signaled an intent to...