Trump pauses furniture tariffs for a year as cost-of-living pressure mounts

United States President Donald Trump has moved to soften the impact of his trade policy on consumers, delaying steep new tariffs on furniture and home fittings amid growing anxiety over prices.

Trump signed an order late Wednesday, during the New Year’s Eve holiday, putting a one-year hold on planned import duties of 50 percent on kitchen cabinets and vanities and 30 percent on upholstered furniture. The move freezes the higher rates but keeps in place the 25 percent tariff he imposed on the same products in September.

The White House has previously framed the furniture tariffs as a way to “bolster American industry and protect national security”. But the pause comes as inflation fatigue and affordability concerns dominate the political mood ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Polls show voters increasingly link higher prices to Trump’s economic agenda, particularly his aggressive use of tariffs. A December survey by Politico found that 30 percent of respondents cited tariffs as the main reason prices remain high, while 32 percent said Trump bears “full responsibility” for the state of the economy.

Cost of living ranked as the top issue facing the country for a majority of respondents, ahead of broader concerns about economic growth. Democrats have sought to keep the focus on affordability, an argument Trump has dismissed as a “hoax” pushed by his political opponents.

The tariff rethink has not been limited to furniture. Italy’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that Washington had also agreed to sharply cut proposed duties on pasta imports from 13 Italian companies.

The Trump administration had previously threatened the firms with additional tariffs of up to 92 percent, on top of existing levies on European Union goods. Under the revised plan, the US Commerce Department will apply a rate of 2.26 percent to La Molisana and 13.98 percent to Garofalo, with the remaining companies facing duties of 9.09 percent.

“The recalculation of the duties is a sign that US authorities recognise our companies’ constructive willingness to cooperate,” Italy’s foreign ministry said.