WHAT’S THE LATEST

On September 29, President Trump issued an Executive Order under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, imposing new tariffs on select wood products imported into the U.S. Effective October 14 at 12:01 a.m. ET, imports of softwood lumber, timber and certain wooden goods will be subject to increased duty rates.

WHAT WE KNOW

  • Softwood lumber and timber (as listed in Annex I) will face a 10% ad valorem duty.
  • Certain upholstered wooden products, kitchen cabinets and vanities (as listed in Annex I) will face a 25% ad valorem duty. 
    o    This includes both finished products and component parts intended for use in kitchen cabinets and vanities.
  • Products covered by Annex I of European Union or Japan origin will not exceed 15%.
  • Product of Great Britain origin will not exceed 10%.
  • Beginning January 2026, duties will further increase: 
    o    Upholstered wooden products: 30%
    o    Kitchen cabinets and vanities: 50%
    o    These increases will apply to imports from countries that do not reach an agreement with the U.S.
  • Products covered by this order will not be subject to reciprocal tariffs. 
  • Wood products subject to this order and Section 232 order covering automotive parts, will only be subject on this order.
  • Effective Oct 14, 2025, products classified in Chapter 44 that had previously been within scope of Reciprocal Tariff Annex II to the reciprocal order removed from Annex II.
  • Duties imposed by this order will be eligible for Duty Drawback.

WHAT'S NEXT?

SEKO is actively monitoring this situation to ensure we have the latest information to guide our clients. This order is still pending publishing in Federal Register, implementation instructions from US Customs, and update to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. We will continue to provide timely updates as latest information becomes available.

We recommend that importers review Annex I carefully to determine whether their products are impacted.

If you have questions, please reach out to your SEKO representative, or email us at hello@sekologistics.com.