Muskoka chair maker’s tariff woes highlight challenges for mom-and-pop manufacturers

A Canadian Muskoka chair maker, DFC Woodworks Inc., is facing significant challenges due to U.S. tariffs that have prompted the company to consider relocating a large portion of its manufacturing to the United States. Established in 1955 in Kemptville, Ontario, the family-run business has been producing outdoor wooden patio furniture, including Muskoka chairs, also known as Adirondack chairs, for nearly seven decades.

Approximately 70 percent of the company's furniture exports are currently sent to the United States, but these goods are now subject to a 50 percent U.S. duty.

DFC Woodworks president François Bruneau revealed that the family-run business is grappling with a substantial tariff bill and must confront a critical decision. The company could either absorb the costs, raise prices potentially leading to a loss of U.S. sales, or shift the majority of its manufacturing operations south of the border.

International affairs professor Fen Hampson from Carleton University emphasized that this dilemma exemplifies the obstacles encountered by many Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (mom-and-pop manufacturers). These businesses often lack the financial resources, diversified markets, and specialized trade expertise that larger corporations can leverage to navigate a trade war successfully.

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