U.S. Wood Furniture Companies: “Domestic Production Is Impossible — Vietnam Remains Our Destination”

In the context of President Donald Trump’s re-election and his announcement of high tariffs on wood furniture imported into the United States, specifically 25% starting October 14. These tariffs could increase to 50% for kitchen cabinets/vanities and 30% for upholstered furniture, next year. 

Amid the new U.S. tariff shifts, many Vietnamese wood exporters have chosen to “stand their ground” rather than relocate production to the U.S., seeing this as a more realistic way to stay competitive. A prime example is Trayton Group — a company heavily dependent on the U.S. market, with 70% of its sofas and armchairs sold there — which has stated it will continue manufacturing in Vietnam despite the steep tariffs. 

Simon Lichtenberg, CEO of Trayton, explained that manufacturing in the U.S. is “almost impossible” due to extremely high costs and the severe difficulty of finding skilled labor. 

Similarly, Jonathan Charles Fine Furniture — which employs around 2,500 skilled workers in Vietnam and exports approximately 60 containers per month to the U.S. — affirms: “We have absolutely no intention of producing in the United States.” 

On the market front, Vietnam is closely trailing China: in the first seven months of the year, Vietnam’s furniture (wood and wood-based products) exports to the U.S. reached around USD 8.2 billion, nearly matching China’s USD 8.4 billion. 

Companies forecast that U.S. consumers will likely accept higher prices to partially offset the increased costs caused by tariffs. As furniture is a long-cycle purchase — not something bought frequently — its price sensitivity tends to be lower. 

Despite high tariffs posing a major challenge, many international manufacturers still choose the strategy of “staying in Vietnam” to take advantage of the existing supply chain, achieve far more optimal costs compared to U.S. production, and capitalize on Vietnam’s strong opportunity to strengthen its position as a key furniture exporter to the U.S. 

Source:  

1. CafeF. (2024, October 7). U.S. wood industry leaders: “Furniture manufacturing in the United States is almost impossible, we will stay in Vietnam”. CafeF. https://cafef.vn/cac-ong-chu-nganh-go-nuoc-my-san-xuat-do-go-tai-my-la-gan-nhu-khong-the-chung-toi-se-o-lai-viet-nam-18825100307164508.chn 

2. Nguyen, P., & Goh, B. (2025, September 30). Staying put in Vietnam, furniture exporters bet U.S. consumers will absorb tariff blow. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/staying-put-vietnam-furniture-exporters-bet-us-consumers-will-absorb-tariff-blow-2025-09-30/