Exhibitors and attendees from all over the world flock to High Point for the furniture market on Oct. 27, 2025. (Christine Zhu/NC Newsline)
HIGH POINT — Exploring showrooms and offerings at the High Point Market, I plopped down in a bean bag, amazed at how soft and luxurious it felt — a sharp contrast from the rocky ones of my elementary school days.
Fibre by Auskin describes itself as a global company, sourcing alpaca fur from South America and wool from Tibetan lamb. The company says it has purchasing, manufacturing, design and sales teams in Australia, China and New Zealand.
Like most wholesalers at the market, Fibre by Auskin is decidedly high-end. But even luxury goods like the bean bag are bearing the brunt of tariffs. Its manufacturer’s suggested retail price rose 37% this year, going from $1,320 to $1,814.
A bean bag made from Tibetan lamb wool increased 37% in price over the past year. (Christine Zhu/NC Newsline)Other products by the same company saw even steeper markups — sales executive Erin Dowd said a pillow went from $71 to $101, a 42% increase.
The company faced a 25% tariff on all inbound goods from China in 2018. Tariffs increased by an additional 30% in 2025, resulting in a total of 55%.
“We managed to absorb as much of that as possible, but this year hit hard,” Dowd said. “I would say there’s not a day that goes by that somebody calls and they ask for a price and say, ‘Oh, that’s gone up.’”
Thousands of exhibitors gather in the Tar Heel State twice a year for the High Point Market, displaying the latest innovations in furniture, interior design and home furnishings. The showrooms welcome about 75,000 attendees representing more than 100 countries, according to the website.
Tariffs specifically aimed at the furniture sector were front of mind at this fall’s market, which took place from Oct. 25 to 29.
At the end of September, President Donald Trump announced “substantial” tariffs on imported furniture, a move he said would help manufacturers in North Carolina.
The U.S. began charging a 10% tariff on foreign softwood lumber and timber, and a 25% tariff on kitchen cabinets, vanities and upholstered wooden furniture on Oct. 14, Trump announced in a Sept. 29 proclamation. The rates on cabinets will increase to 50% and upholstered furniture to 30% on Jan. 1.
“In order to make North Carolina, which has completely lost its furniture business to China, and other Countries, GREAT again, I will be imposing substantial Tariffs on any Country that does not make its furniture in the United States,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The market comes at a point of high political tension, with the federal government shutdown approaching a full month and a contentious U.S. Senate race brewing in the Tar Heel State.
The North Carolina Democratic Party put out a press release on Monday saying “Whatley-backed” tariffs could raise furniture costs.
This refers to Michael Whatley, the former Republican National Committee chair who resigned from his position to launch a 2026 Senate bid against former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. Whatley has voiced support for Trump’s tariff strategy.
In the furniture industry, tariffs are also limiting options for designers relying on foreign goods and manufacturing.
Previously, producers at Union Home Furniture had a supply of backstock and could make pieces available for designers who wanted to experiment with new ideas. Now, the company has reduced its available stock and is sending products to fulfill orders as they come, according to Gauri Pal, a sales and operations manager.
“We’ve had to be conservative with production,” she said.
Meanwhile, domestic manufacturers say they’re faring better under the tariffs.
Old Hickory Furniture produces rustic pieces that are featured in national parks. (Christine Zhu/NC Newsline)Indiana-based Old Hickory Furniture produces rustic pieces that are featured in national parks. Its latest release, dubbed “The Lodge Collection,” features rugged wood detailing and gingham covers.
Beau Parsons, the company’s president, estimates 90% or more of Old Hickory Furniture’s raw materials come from sources within the U.S. The hickory comes from either Tennessee or Mississippi, so prices haven’t changed much there.
But furniture manufacturers have felt the impact of tariffs on plywood, he said.
“Plywood has been difficult, but everything else, for the most part, has stayed pretty steady for us,” Parsons said. “Tariffs have been a great conversation starter for us, because we’re an American-made furniture company.”
It’s a similar case for Copeland Furniture, a family-owned business and the largest employer in Bradford, Vermont.
Most of the company’s raw materials are grown in the U.S., exclusively sourcing solid hardwoods that are grown and harvested in North America.
Copeland Furniture only imports some components of their products — for example, textiles, glass centers and stone table tops.
With tariffs weighing more on brands relying heavily on imported goods, sales and marketing director Ben Copeland said he’s noticed more customers turning to Copeland Furniture.
“We’ve gotten some interest from retailers that might not have come to us five years ago,” he said. “Consumers are more likely to say, ‘What’s the country of origin of this product?’ and they assume that if the origin is something imported, they’re paying a penalty, a tax. If they’re buying something that’s American, they’re getting full value for the dollar.”
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