In a surprise last-minute development, President Trump has pushed back plans to increase US import tariffs on KBB products, which were due to rise at the start of this year.
Back in September 2025, Trump announced a surprise new 25% tariff on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities being imported into the US, which was due to increase to 50% on January 1, 2026.
However, in a fact sheet released on December 31 – the day before the tariffs were due to come into effect – the White House confirmed it was delaying the tariff hike “for another year”. According to the release, this is because the US is continuing to engage in “productive negotiations with trade partners to address trade reciprocity and national security concerns”.
The White House says that by delaying the new tariffs until at least January 1, 2027, it hopes that the US will be able to have further negotiations with other countries on new trade deals.
As a result, the 25% tariff imposed back in September will remain in place for most countries around the world, with the UK’s tariff staying at just 10% (in keeping with the new trade deal struck between the US and UK in May 2025), and Japan’s and the EU’s rate staying at 15%.
When the tariffs were announced back in September, Trump justified the new measures by saying that “an over-reliance on foreign timber, lumber, and their derivative products could jeopardise the United States’ defence capabilities, construction industry, and economic strength”. In this latest fact sheet, the White House says these supposed threats to national security have been made worse by “predatory trade practices that undermine the competitiveness of the US wood products industry”.
Trump’s recent tariffs on imported furniture are not the first time his policies have taken aim at the KBB industry. Shortly after entering office for his second term, Trump also signed an executive order rolling back sustainability regulations on showers in the US, claiming he would “make America’s showers great again”.