The White House has announced new tariffs on imports of European products, effective October 14, 2025, covering the entire wood, furniture, and wood technology sectors. In particular, the tariffs range from 10 percent on raw timber, to 25 percent on furniture and kitchens, up to 15 percent on capital goods and machinery for wood processing (source: Acimall).
THE WEIGHT OF THE U.S. MARKET
The United States represents one of the most important markets for Italian exports in the wood-furniture and technology sectors. In the first half of 2025, Italian exports of wood technologies to the U.S. reached 86.7 million euros, a 6.5 percent drop compared to the same period in 2024, highlighting how trade uncertainty has affected orders. For the Italian wood-furniture sector, the U.S. market is the second most significant export destination, with 177 million euros in 2024, right after Europe, confirming its strategic role for Italian companies.
TARIFFS ON FURNITURE
In detail, raw timber will be subject to a 10 percent tariff, while upholstered furniture such as sofas, armchairs, and seats will face a 25 percent customs duty, with a possible increase to 30 percent starting in 2026. The heaviest tariffs, however, will apply to the kitchen and kitchen furniture segment, where the base rate set for October is 25 percent but could rise to 50 percent in 2026 for products not covered by specific bilateral agreements.
For European producers, particularly those in Italy, the new framework agreement between Washington and Brussels introduces a ceiling of 15 percent on tariffs applied to EU-origin goods, thus avoiding the harsher impact foreseen in the initial version of the measures.
“LOGICS OF FORCE, RATHER THAN OF LAW”
In an interview with the Friuli Venezia Giulia Regional News, Paolo Fantoni, president of both the Fantoni Group and Assopannelli, commented on the recent market developments. Quarterly export data for Friuli Venezia Giulia’s wood-furniture industry to the U.S. confirmed a 20 percent decrease compared to 2024, while the sector was shaken for a few days by the announcement of 50 percent tariffs on certain types of furniture. However, thanks to the trade agreement with Europe, the maximum ceiling for Italian production chains should remain at 15 percent.
“Uncertainty reigns supreme,” Fantoni told TGR, “these measures at the moment respond to logics of force more than of law. Furniture in the United States was essentially made of solid wood rather than panel, but this technological backwardness cannot be addressed and resolved through legislative measures; it requires planning and time within a longer timeframe.”
“Unfortunately,” Fantoni continued, “this uncertainty and these prospects risk undermining all commercial and industrial investments of many companies that have invested in showrooms and major initiatives in the U.S. The European Commission has proposed another postponement of the entry into force of the EU deforestation regulation, but there are still problems with the IT system through which entrepreneurs must verify the origin codes of raw materials. The impact of these rules on small and medium-sized enterprises is very concerning, as they are being asked to bear administrative and organizational costs disproportionate to the environmental objectives.”
Finally, regarding global competition, he added: “At customs, we face enormous difficulties in verifying the authenticity of documents from China and Vietnam, where industry and traders often falsify any inconvenient information. In response, Europe is adopting protective measures, anti-dumping clauses, and safeguard provisions that will increasingly become part of daily business unless limits are imposed on these irregularities in international trade.”
