Furniture: exports down in the first quarter; imports from China soar

As in the previous two months, the figures from the United States were the main factor in March: the impact of tariffs on furniture exports and, more generally, on the timber industry, is being felt and has resulted in an overall decline of 15.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, according to data compiled by the FederlegnoArredo research centre (based on Istat figures). This impact is all the more significant given that the US is the sector’s third-largest export market and that the top two destination countries, France and Germany, also recorded sharp declines of 3.4 per cent and 6.9 per cent respectively.

The situation is no better in those regions where, in recent years, Italian timber and furniture companies had placed great hopes and made significant investments – namely the Gulf States: the crisis in the Middle East triggered by the war between the United States, Israel and Iran has, in fact, brought consumer spending to a standstill and slowed down the completion of many major projects, leading to a 66 per cent drop in exports to OPEC countries in March alone, and a 23.4 per cent fall in the January–March period. In particular, sales to the United Arab Emirates have plummeted, falling by 78.4 per cent in the first quarter, and to Saudi Arabia (-57.3 per cent). However, in April there were some signs of a gradual recovery, with a more moderate decline of 27 per cent compared with April 2025, “indicating a gradual resumption of trade following the initial lockdown phase”, explains the president of FederlegnoArredo (Fla), Claudio Feltrin, although “the situation remains fragile and uncertain”.

Overall, exports from the sector totalled 4.4 billion euros in the first three months of the year, representing a 5.2 per cent decrease, ‘confirming the slowdown already evident in previous months’, according to a statement released by FA, which also reports an overall fall of 3.1 per cent in March. In particular, the furniture sector – which is most heavily reliant on exports – has been hit hard, with exports contracting by 7.5% in the first quarter, affecting industrial production, which fell by 3.5%.

Among the few countries that stand out for their increase in exports, within the top ten buyers of Italian furniture and wood products, are Spain (+1.3 per cent), Switzerland (+3.3 per cent) and the Netherlands (+3 per cent). “It is not easy to find alternative markets in which to invest,” observes Feltrin, pointing out that it takes years of work and considerable resources to establish and then consolidate a commercial presence abroad. “Over the last 10–15 years, our companies have made significant investments in Russia, China, the United States and the Middle East: all markets which are currently facing serious difficulties,” adds Feltrin.

Hence the urgent need to protect the domestic and European markets (which, despite the difficulties, remain the most stable and still account for over 50 per cent of the sector’s exports) from Chinese competition, which is becoming increasingly fierce, with products of increasingly high quality at prices significantly lower than the European average: in April alone, imports from China rose by 19.6 per cent compared with April 2025: ‘Year-to-date in 2026, the figure remains negative at -6.6 per cent, but only because it is being compared with the high peaks reached in 2025. Furthermore, we note that this phenomenon is now becoming a trend and that China, which was a highly promising export market before the Covid pandemic, has become a formidable – and not always fair – competitor,” says Feltrin. For this reason, the Federation is calling on the European Union to ensure the conditions for balanced competition, based on shared rules: “We are not asking for tariffs, but for strict checks on incoming goods to ensure that non-EU producers also comply with the standards that Europe imposes on our companies.”