Fairfield Chair, a family-owned furniture maker in Lenoir, North Carolina, sees an opening for its USA-made sofas and chairs as a new 30% tariff hits upholstered furniture imports, CBS News reported on October 10, 2025.
A century-old factory
The company was founded more than a century ago by the great-great-grandfather of lead director Anne-Lindsay Beall. More than 400 employees work in its factories. CEO Dixon Mitchell said more than 100 people touch each chair as it moves through the plant, and many employees have been there for decades.
The USA imported more than $25 billion in furniture in 2024, up 7% from 2023, mostly from Vietnam and China, CBS reported, citing Furniture Today. Mitchell said the new tariff on upholstered imports will affect the business, partly because many of the textiles Fairfield uses are imported from Asia.
“The thing about furniture, people are always going to need something to sit on, eat on, and sleep on.”
Dixon Mitchell, CEO, Fairfield Chair, to CBS News
Fairfield also furnished the new CBS Mornings set and green room in New York.
Why it matters for Made in USA
Furniture is a good example of how origin claims work. A sofa can be framed, built and upholstered in North Carolina and still use imported fabric. Because fabric is a significant part of an upholstered piece, an unqualified Made in USA claim may not fit when the fabric is imported. A qualified claim such as “Made in USA with imported fabric” is more accurate.
Tariffs can help USA furniture makers compete with imports, but they also raise the cost of imported materials those makers still rely on.
FAQ
Where is Fairfield Chair made?
In Lenoir, North Carolina, where it employs more than 400 people.
How do tariffs affect Fairfield?
The 30% tariff on upholstered imports helps it compete, but tariffs also raise the cost of the imported textiles it uses.
Can furniture with imported fabric be labeled Made in USA?
Generally only with a qualification, because fabric is a significant part of upholstered furniture.
Source & credit
Originally reported by CBS News (Skyler Henry, Analisa Novak) on October 10, 2025: Inside Fairfield Chair’s five-generation legacy