New tariffs on home furniture could make kitchen renovations a lot more costly, including for those rebuilding their homes after the deadly wildfires in LA County.
The looming price surge comes after President Donald Trump announced Friday a 30% tariff on upholstered furniture and 50% on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities.
Those tariffs come on top of a slow-moving permit process in Altadena and people doing what they can to come back to their beloved neighborhood
Trump says the tariffs will bring manufacturing back to the U.S. after other countries have flooded the market with less expensive products, but one Altadena homeowner says they are like salt on a wound.
“Building materials, appliances, just all of that. It is all affected and the timing just could not be worse,” said Gwen Sukeena, who is rebuilding after the Eaton Fire. “And it is really unfortunate that it is affecting so many of us. And it’s not just the fires, it’s the floods in texas and all these people that are really trying to do their best to rebuild their lives. “
Trinidad Campbell, an architect helping Altadena resident Margot Steuber rebuild her home, says they bought all the furniture ahead of time with tariffs in mind.
“We have all the tiles, all the equipment for the kitchens, the bathrooms, everything was purchased at the beginning for two causes. The first one was because of the tariffs and the second cause it was because it was a nice way to take her (Steuber) shopping and get her out of the tragedy,” said Campbell.
For local businesses like Fletcher Home, a furniture appliance store in Hollywood, they expect to increase their prices to reflect the tariffs.
“So everything that we import is going to be taxed,” said Nicole Chen. “We’re going to have to raise the prices, which is going to be rolled over onto the customer.”
Chen says they will absorb what they can but the hefty hike is not sustainable.
“”It’s happening really, really quickly. So we want to be able to warn our customers, but i think it’s going to be a surprise for a lot of people that are just walking in, especially after Oct. 1,” said Chen.
Back in Altadena, Steuber says she’s talking with neighbors who are willing and able to return and hopes the costs won’t keep people from trying.
“I want everybody to come back. You know, it’s not just the mountains out of my window it’s also the people who live here with me,” said Steuber.
Some homeowners are also worried as they look to rebuild what insurance is willing to give them, saying reimbursement is based on how things are now, but what about in a few months?
Trump’s latest set of tariffs is set to begin on Oct. 1, according to the president’s social media account.