Trump delays 2026 furniture and cabinet tariff hikes amid affordability push
President Trump on Dec. 31, 2025 signed a presidential proclamation delaying for one year planned tariff hikes that would have raised tariffs on upholstered furniture from the current 25% to 30% and on kitchen cabinets and vanities from 25% to 50% (the higher rates had been scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2026), leaving the September-imposed 25% tariffs in place. The White House framed the move as part of a "laser-focused" affordability push and ongoing trade talks — after recently rolling back some food tariffs — while economists warn such levies have pushed up consumer prices (household furnishings +4.6% year-over-year) and strategists say delays give the administration flexibility to ease costs for voters.
📌 Key Facts
- President Trump signed a presidential proclamation on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31, 2025) postponing planned tariff hikes on furniture and cabinets for one year.
- The existing 25% tariff imposed in September remains in place; the planned increases—30% for upholstered furniture and 50% for kitchen cabinets and vanities—had been scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2026 but are delayed for one year.
- The proclamation cites 'ongoing trade talks' as the administration's official rationale for the delay.
- The White House is framing the move as part of a broader, 'laser‑focused' affordability push, responding to political pressure after 2025 elections in New York City, New Jersey and Virginia.
- The action fits a pattern in this term of the administration announcing, then delaying or scaling back tariffs; the White House has also rolled back tariffs on some imported foods such as coffee and bananas.
- Reactions cited include AEI economist Michael Strain saying tariffs have raised consumer prices and caused 'substantial political damage,' and GOP strategist Matt Gorman saying the delay shows tariffs give the president 'maximum flexibility' and that more cost‑lowering moves may follow.
- Coverage links the tariff decision to recent BLS data cited by the White House and commentators: household furnishings prices rose 4.6% year‑over‑year while overall CPI was up 2.7% year‑over‑year.
📊 Relevant Data
In the third quarter of 2025, the homeownership rate was 74.0% for non-Hispanic White households, 45.7% for Black or African American households, and 61.8% for Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander households.
Q3 2025, Housing and Homeownership: Homeownership Rate — FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
Native Americans experience the highest tariff pass-through to inflation among racial groups in the US, while the unclassified race experiences the lowest.
Unequal Inflationary Effects of Tariffs across Socio-Demographic Groups — SSRN
📊 Analysis & Commentary (1)
"The piece critiques the administration’s tariff play — arguing that pausing certain tariff hikes is a political fix that highlights the tension between using tariffs to encourage domestic industry and the immediate harm tariffs inflict on affordability and inflation."
📰 Source Timeline (5)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Fox reports the White House is positioning the tariff delay as part of a broader push to be 'laser-focused' on affordability, an issue that dominated 2025 elections in New York City, New Jersey and Virginia.
- The piece notes that President Trump has already scaled back tariffs on imported foods such as coffee and bananas, expanding the picture beyond furniture and cabinetry.
- AEI economist Michael Strain is quoted saying the move shows the White House understands Trump’s tariffs are driving up consumer prices and causing 'substantial political damage' from higher prices.
- GOP strategist Matt Gorman is quoted saying the delay illustrates that tariffs give Trump 'maximum flexibility' and predicting more moves like this to lower costs for average consumers as 2026 progresses.
- The article ties the tariff decision to recent BLS data: household furnishings prices rose 4.6% over the past year and overall CPI was up 2.7% year-over-year.
- Confirms the timing: the proclamation delaying tariff increases was signed on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31, 2025).
- Specifies that the existing 25% tariff imposed in September remains in place while the planned higher rates (30% for upholstered furniture and 50% for kitchen cabinets and vanities) are delayed for one year.
- Attributes the decision explicitly to 'ongoing trade talks' as the cited rationale in the proclamation.
- Notes that the higher tariffs had been scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2026, before the delay.
- Frames the move as part of a pattern in which Trump has repeatedly announced, then delayed or pulled back tariffs in his current term.
- Confirms that the mechanism for the delay is a New Year’s Eve presidential proclamation signed Wednesday.
- Restates that the currently applied tariff is 25% and that planned increases were 30% for upholstered furniture and 50% for kitchen cabinets and vanities.
- Attributes Trump’s justification for the delay directly to 'ongoing trade talks' and notes his stated rationale that the tariffs are needed to 'bolster American industry and protect national security.'