U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he would impose 10 percent tariffs on imported timber and lumber, and 25 percent duties on imported kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, and upholstered furniture, and the rate on the latter would be increased next year.
To justify the new duties, which were imposed pursuant to Section 232 of the Trade Act of 1974, Trump had signed a presidential proclamation that proposes his argument that the imports of timber, lumber, and furniture are undermining the U.S. national security.
The proclamation announced that the tariff rates would commence on October 14, but also stated that duties would be increased on January 1 to 30 percent on upholstered wooden goods and to 50 percent on imported kitchen cabinets and vanities for those countries that do not agree with the United States.
It is the first of three industries Trump indicated last week would receive steep new duties as early as October 1, such as patented pharmaceutical imports and heavy truck imports.
However, the Monday proclamation establishes the commencement of the lumber and furniture duties after two weeks, at 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT) on October 14.
According to the proclamation made by Trump, the imports of wood products are undermining the economy of the U.S., leading to the continued threats of closing down of wood mills and breaking down of the supply chains of wood products, and a reduction in the use of the U.S. domestic wood industry.
He stated that “Because of the state of the United States wood industry, the United States may be unable to meet demands for wood products that are crucial to the national defense and critical infrastructure.”
The order further specified that the wood products are “building infrastructure for operational testing, housing and storage for personnel and materiel, transporting munitions, as an ingredient in munitions, and as a component in missile-defense systems and thermal-protection systems for nuclear-reentry vehicles.”
