US home builders, homeowners brace for impact of kitchen tariffs

When Katie Crook heard the news recently that President Donald Trump was imposing 50% tariffs on imported kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities, she immediately thought about Italian-made kitchens and American oak.

"There is a difference between US oak and European oak," said Crook, whose firm, Heritage Cabinetry and Design in Santa Barbara, California, designs cabinetry that is built to order by companies in the United States, Canada and occasionally Europe. "European oak has a tighter grain and is a little bit more durable," she said, adding that cabinetry made in Italy has an "ultramodern" look that isn't easily replicated.

Crook called the new, targeted tariffs "comically nonsensical" - especially at a time when the United States is importing more furniture, kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities from overseas - and unlikely to shift much production to America quickly.


John Buscarello, an instructor at the New York School of Interior Design who has worked on home renovation projects for three decades, said that the change "really hits this entire market."

"Yes, IKEA is going to be impacted, obviously," he said. But the new tariffs, which are set to begin Oct. 14, may have a bigger effect at the higher end, where cabinetry can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy and install.

The tariffs, which also include a 30% tax on imported upholstered furniture, could increase the costs for homebuilders in the midst of a national housing shortage. If homeowners postpone projects to try to save money, he noted, it may have a "cascading effect" not just on designers, manufacturers and contractors, but also on plumbers and electricians.