Chinese furniture exports are undergoing a significant geographic shift, with Europe overtaking the United States as the leading destination market, according to new analysis from Furnilytics.
The report said global furniture trade has entered a transitional phase following the exceptional demand recorded during the pandemic years, with trade policy changes and sourcing adjustments reshaping flows.
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China's total furniture exports peaked at $74.9bn in 2021 before easing to $69.8bn in 2024 and $66.9bn in 2025, representing a year-on-year decline of 4.3%.
According to Furnilytics, weaker post-pandemic demand and growing structural pressures have contributed to the slowdown, with US tariff policy and wider trade tensions reducing the competitiveness of Chinese products in the American market.
Historically, the US had been China's largest export destination, averaging around $1.6bn in monthly imports compared with approximately $1.0bn for Europe.
However, the latest data shows exports to the US falling sharply to below $1bn per month, while exports to Europe remained more stable and moved towards $1.2bn per month. As a result, the EU has overtaken the US as the largest destination for Chinese furniture shipments.
The report said this reflects weaker US demand, continued tariffs and supply-chain diversification, with Europe increasingly absorbing redirected trade volumes.
Year-on-year figures for 2025 showed US imports from China falling 30.8%, while EU imports rose 13.3%.
Several major European markets posted double-digit gains, including Germany (+14.0%), Spain (+15.2%) and Netherlands (+10.1%). Imports also increased in the United Kingdom (+9.0%), France (+7.4%) and Italy (+8.3%).
Furnilytics noted that many underlying furniture markets are not expanding significantly, suggesting the increases are driven more by sourcing shifts than by stronger consumer demand.
The company concluded that if current dynamics continue, European markets should expect sustained inflows of Chinese furniture, increasing competitive pressure across the retail and manufacturing value chain.
More information:
Furnilytics
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www.furnilytics.com
