France's furniture industry says it is being undermined by unequal regulations, as cheap imported goods, especially from China, flood the market and escape local controls. While domestic manufacturers are bound by strict French and European rules on quality, safety, and recycling taxes, these standards often don't apply to online platforms selling imported furniture.
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The national trade union representing the industry warns that over the last 25 years, imports have risen by a factor of 2.8 globally, and by 20 from China alone. In that time, French production has halved. Local companies now supply only 37% of furniture sold in France, compared to 77% in 1999.
Jean-Luc Guery, head of Optimum, a leading cupboard door manufacturer in Lot-et-Garonne, criticised the lack of monitoring on e-commerce giants like Temu and Shein. He pointed out that many imported items fail safety tests yet remain on the market. Meanwhile, domestic firms face taxes such as eco-participation, which foreign sellers often avoid.
Timothée Achéritogaray, CEO of Basque firm Sokoa, which employs 250 people, said that while local producers absorb high labour costs, it is the "regulatory imbalance" that is truly damaging. He called for fairness and warned against repeating the mass deindustrialisation seen in France's textile sector during the 1980s.
The sector's decline has already claimed casualties, including the closure of the Keyor factory and bathroom furniture brand Allibert. Industry leaders are urging authorities to extend oversight to online platforms and imported goods to preserve jobs and ensure a level playing field.
Source: www.sudouest.fr