TMTPOST --   U.S.   President   Trump on Monday   announced his new tariffs hitting the furniture industry.

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U.S. imports of softwood   timber and lumber   shall be subject to a 10% tariff   rate, and imports of certain upholstered wooden products   will   face   a 25%   tariff,   according   to a   proclamation   signed by Trump and released by the White House on Monday.   The tariffs are set to take effect on October 14, per the order.   Some rates would increase January   1   under the order,   with certain upholstered wood products subject to a higher 30% levy and kitchen cabinets and vanities then being hit with a 50% import tax.  

The decision   to levy these tariffs is based on   an   investigation launched by the   U.S. Commerce Department   into effects of imports of timber, lumber, and their derivative products on the national security of the United States under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, Trump said in the proclamation.  

The Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick   in   the investigation found   that present quantities and circumstances of wood product imports are weakening U.S.   economy, resulting in the persistent threats of closures of wood mills and disruptions of wood product supply chains, among other things, and diminishing the utilization of production capacity of the   domestic wood industry, Trump said.  

"Because of the state of the United States wood industry, the United States may be unable to meet demands for wood products that are crucial to the national defense and critical infrastructure,"   Trump said   in proclamation. Based on the facts considered in that investigation,   found and advised Trump   of his opinion that wood products are being imported into the U.S.   in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security, according to   Trump.

Trump said his tariff   actions   in the proclamation will   strengthen supply chains, bolster industrial resilience, create high-quality jobs, and increase domestic capacity utilization for wood products such that the U.S.   can fully satisfy domestic consumption while also creating economic benefits through increased exports.

In   a social media post earlier Monday,   Trump threatened he   will be imposing "substantial"   tariffs on "on any Country that does not make its furniture in the United States."   The president said such   move aims to make North Carolina, a state that "has completely lost its furniture business"   to   other   countries including China   great again.

Trump last Thursday previewed a   new wave   of   sectoral   tariffs   up to 100%   coming next month.   In a slew   of posts on his social media   platform Truth Social, Trump   announced he   will impose a 100% tariff on all branded   or patented   pharmaceutical   products, a 50% Tariff on all Kitchen Cabinets, Bathroom Vanities, and associated products,   a 30% Tariff on Upholstered Furniture, and a 25% tariff   on all heavy   trucks. All   of   these levies will   come   into effect on   October 1.

Trump said the new tariffs on   kitchen and bathroom cabinets,   along with certain furniture, resulted from other countries ’   large scale of   "flooding"   into   the United States, which he described   as "very unfair"   practice. The   tariffs   aim   to protect the U.S. manufacturing   for national security, among other reasons.  

The   heavy   truck levies   are also part of efforts to save   domestic   manufacturers. They will protect   U.S. companies, such as Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner, Mack Trucks,   from "the onslaught of outside interruptions", Trump said, citing reasons, including   "above all   else", national security.

As   to the   drug tariffs, Trump said   companies   "building"   their pharmaceutical manufacturing plants   in America   would   be exempted from such levies.   He clarified that   the "building"   means the   plant   is "breaking ground"   and/or   "under   construction".    "There will, therefore, be no Tariff on these Pharmaceutical Products if construction has started,"   the   president wrote   in his   post.