In 2002, according to Asian Timber magazine, the market value for wood furniture sold in the United States was US$11.3 billion, and half of this was for low-priced imports, primarily from Asia.

By the year 2003, according to some analysts, China manufactured 40 percent of all furniture sold in the United States.

Besides leading the world in furniture exports, China was also the biggest exporter of furniture to the United States, which accounted for 52 percent of China's furniture shipments in 2004.China captured significant market share in 2004 as it shipped more upholstered furniture (mostly leather) to the United States than did Italy, which had prior to that year dominated in this segment.

As of 2005, about 54 percent of all wood furniture sold in the United States was imported; and nearly one-quarter of this came from China, which increased its exports of wood furniture 1,630% from 1995 to 2005. The United States imported a record $17.7 billion worth of wood and upholstered furniture and components in 2005, an increase of 11.4% over 2004.

Furthermore, China accounted for over 43% of total U.S. furniture imports in 2005. U.S. imports of furniture from China now exceed the combined U.S. imports from Canada and Mexico, which were the leading foreign suppliers of furniture until the late 1990s.

By 2006, China exported $14.4 billion in furniture to the United States. China is the leading import supplier in most major product categories, and wooden residential furniture continued to be the largest sector by far. More than a third of the imports from China, $5.1 billion in 2006 were in the wood category.

January – March 2007 Imports from China by the United States
Upholstered furniture was valued at 502 Million, a 16.8% increase over 2006. Wood Furniture imports during the first three months in 2007 were at 1.16 Billion, a 1.1% decrease over the same period in 2006. Metal furniture imports however increased by 20% over the same period in 2006, valued at 966 Million Dollars (Source: U.S. Department of Commerce)

U.S. Employment Trends from the effect of Chinese Furniture Imports
China has become the major import supplier of furniture products during the last decade, and more than a third of total imports from this source are wood household furniture products. An antidumping order was imposed on wooden bedroom furniture from China, and many U.S. manufacturers are receiving disbursements of the collected duties under the terms of the “Byrd Amendment” (Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act, 19USC §1675C).

Due to major change to source wood furniture from China, North Carolina, lost about 19,000 jobs between 2000 and 2005, about 28% of total employment in the industry. Other states, especially California, the number two producer, have also suffered high job losses. On the other hand, Mississippi, a major center of upholstered furniture production and the third-biggest producing state, has seen more modest job losses.

By 2006, employment in the industry was 556,000, a decline of almost 125,000 jobs from the peak just six years earlier, at an annual rate of decline of 3.3%. The employment decline affected virtually all major product areas, including wooden household furniture, which has been heavily impacted by these imports. The final assessment of this situation must be viewed as a shift and adjustment in the industry. While the imports lowered employment rates in the previous manufacturing sector, imported wood furniture have come down in retail price points, creating savings for the consumers and allowing for growth in retail spending on other consumer goods.

More information about the Chinese Furniture Industry and Chinese Furniture Manufacturers is available in our Research Report Section. If you would like to read these reports in Spanish, please visit Muebles China.