The spring High Point Market marked the first trade show for the furniture industry since President Donald Trump announced (and paused some) tariffs on imported goods. And the T-word certainly felt like the elephant in the room during the show, which also marked a strong outdoor presence through new showrooms, products and companies getting into the casual business.
While some domestic manufacturers at market said they hope the tariffs help level the playing field, furniture companies reliant on imports — particularly those from countries other than China — seem to be taking this time to stock their warehouses before larger duties come down.
That’s the strategy for Three Birds Casual, which specializes in teak from Indonesia.
“Our business model relies on having a deep stock of every line of our product so that we can keep up with our standard of 48-hour ship times on all items,” said Telly Varga, director of marketing, Three Birds Casual. “We want to be equipped to fulfill any order immediately, big or small, and because of this, our warehouse is completely stocked with tariff-free product. Additionally, after receiving word for the 90-day pause in tariffs, we are taking the initiative to plan for the worst and bring in as much inventory as possible while we are able, likely overstocking our warehouse.”
Full-line furniture maker Meridian — which introduced several new outdoor collections this market — said they are focusing on sourcing from countries with lower tariffs.
“We actually made a huge effort that everything you see in our showroom is not from China — it’s all Vietnam, Malaysia and India, and there’s way more stability coming out of those regions,” said Moe Rosilio, COO, Meridian Furniture. “We’re only expecting a tiny increase in price, and we can’t stock enough for the season.”
Full-line brand Bellini Modern Living makes all of its furniture in Italy, which is among the countries on pause from tariffs until July, save an across-the-board 10% duty. The company introduced several new outdoor seating groups in bold colors, and Bellini’s president said they will share the tariff burden with dealers.
“We always want to be a good partner with our dealers, so we’re splitting that 10% in half,” said Hossein Azimi, president, Bellini Modern Living. “We cover 5% and they pay 5% until the situation resolves or things change. And for any orders before April 14, we’re covering all the tariffs.”
Others at market expressed a wait-and-see opinion on the issue, which may have impacted the decision of some to attend, as the show reported a decline in attendance compared to October 2024. Overall April market attendance was estimated to be down 1.3% from October, according to the High Point Market Authority. The show saw the largest decline in international attendance, down 14%, with interior designer traffic down 6.6% and overall buyer companies down 3.9%. Stocking dealer attendance was up .4%.
