President Trump Promises Tariffs To Protect North Carolina Furniture Manufacturing

Yesterday, President Donald Trump announced plans for “substantial” tariffs to protect North Carolina furniture manufacturing from foreign competitors.  

North Carolina is the top state for furniture manufacturing, employing over 32,000 North Carolinians, with over 850 furniture manufactures located in the state. 

But North Carolina’s furniture industry maintains only a fraction of its former strength. A 2020 study, published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, noted that furniture jobs in North Carolina dropped in half from 1999 to 2009. The main reason for this decline was competition from China that flooded the furniture market with cheap foreign alternatives.  

In the last couple of years, several North Carolina furniture companies have closed or gone bankrupt. In 2023, Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams and Klaussner Furniture suddenly closed, leaving over 1,300 people without a job. In 2025, after a 50 year run, Progressive Furniture shut down.  

About President Trump’s plan to revitalize North Carolina furniture manufacturing, Republican Senate Leader Phil Berger said, “Thank you, President Donald Trump! The loss of manufacturing jobs devastated our state. I’m glad to have a President who understands how important the furniture industry is to North Carolina.”  

Former Governor Roy Cooper, the likely Democrat nominee, did not respond to request for comment.