As Trump threatens more tariffs, Atlanta retailers brace for impact
“Here we go again.”
That’s what LaMont Bynum said he thought when President Donald Trump announced his latest round of import taxes, which target specific goods.
Just months ago, Bynum opened a new furniture showroom and design center for his company Rite At Home, spending $2.6 million on Cascade Road.
Bynum is among the Atlanta business owners already hit by inflation who could feel more pressure from rising prices.
Thursday evening, Trump on social media declared a 30% tariff on upholstered furniture, along with a 50% tariff on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities. In separate posts, he also announced new tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals and heavy-duty trucks.
Trump said the tariffs would take effect Oct. 1.
“Our industry is very volatile at this time,” Bynum said, citing increasing costs and delayed product releases. The new tariffs would come, he said, as more people spruce up their homes for fall and winter celebrations.
“This is our season,” he said. “People love to gather for the holidays.”
Prices are already up. The cost of furniture and bedding grew 4.7% in August from a year ago, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Trump has said his furniture tariffs are aimed at boosting domestic production.
Tariffs are taxes on goods imported into the country, typically paid by the entity or person who imports the product. Businesses may pass along part or all of those costs to the end buyer.
So far this year, the U.S. has imported more than $23 billion worth of furniture and household goods, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It ranks among the top imports for consumer goods, along with toys, cotton apparel, cell phones and appliances.
Trump offered a justification for a fresh round of import taxes on furniture, cabinets and vanities in his post.
“The reason for this is the large scale ‘FLOODING’ of these products into the United States by other outside countries,” Trump said Thursday on Truth Social. “It is a very unfair practice, but we must protect, for national security and other reasons, our manufacturing process.”
Vietnam and China dominate U.S. furniture imports, according to the Home Furnishings Association. Trump has already levied what he calls “reciprocal tariffs” on those countries.
The U.S. tariff situation, though, remains uncertain because of ongoing legal challenges. The U.S Supreme Court in November is expected to hear a case challenging Trump’s authority to impose tariffs.
Other popular home-focused retailers said they vow to keep prices as low as they can.
“We remain committed to our ‘everyday low price’ strategy to deliver value despite tariff pressures,” said a spokesperson for Vinings-based Home Depot. “We will assess the latest tariffs once the details are released.”
A spokesperson for Ikea, the Swedish home furnishing company that has a sprawling showroom at Atlantic Station, also said it is committed to keeping prices as low as possible. The company in a statement referenced a $2 billion investment in the U.S. to boost its domestic sourcing and manufacturing.
“As a global company, we source our resources from around the world — including here in the U.S. However, tariff increases will impact our prices in the United States,” the statement said.
Ferguson Enterprises, the parent company of retail brand Ferguson Homes, which has kitchen, bathroom and lighting showrooms in Alpharetta and Buckhead, said it is also monitoring the tariff landscape.
The company is focused on ensuring customers “have access to products at a competitive price and with no disruption in supply,” Todd Young, Ferguson’s senior vice president of sales and customer insights, said in a statement.
Havertys, an Atlanta-based furniture company, declined to comment. Home improvement retailer Lowe’s and other local furniture and cabinet stores didn’t immediately respond.
For Bynum, while many of his products are imported, he also has his own upholstery line that is made in America.
“Given our new showroom, given our custom line, we’ve learned how to pivot,” Bynum said.
“We have to figure out and still be there for our consumer, because everyone deserves a great space. Everyone deserves a nice home.”
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