Arredo, appello a Bruxelles per contrastare l’invasione di prodotti dalla Cina

Arredo, a Brussels to tackle Chinese product invasion

The issue of Chinese furniture imports into Europe is not a new phenomenon, but recent sensitivity has increased due to several factors. Firstly, there has been a significant decrease in exports from Italy to China, with a 17.7% drop in the first seven months of the year compared to July 2025. This competition from Chinese products, often unfair in price and often questionable in quality, has been around for several years and has posed challenges for European manufacturers, particularly in Germany, France, and Poland, where the majority of national production focuses on the mid-range segment.

Italy seemed to have been spared until now, thanks to a production system specialized in design and high-end segments. However, recent data from FederlegnoArredo on furniture imports from China in the first half of the year raises alarm bells. While the overall data appears innocuous, with Italy importing €1.1 billion worth of products (15.4 billion for the EU), there are spikes in April, June, July, and August, ranging from 19.6% to 42% increases.

Moreover, imports from other Asian countries, such as Vietnam, have also risen, suggesting a triangulation of markets, especially for some categories like wooden flooring. The implementation of an anti-dumping measure against China last year for wooden flooring further indicates this trend. The increase in quantities entering Italy (9.4% more than the volume) between January and July 2026, despite a 2.5% drop in values, is another troubling sign.

Claudio Feltrin, president of the federation, urges a closer look at the data and an investigation by the European Commission, similar to a previous case involving wooden flooring, which led to the application of anti-dumping duties. The European Commission's action resulted in a 41.5% reduction in Chinese imports of these products in the first half of the year.

Efic, the European association of furniture producers, has sent a letter to Maroš Šefčovič, the European Commissioner for Trade, urging him to address the massive penetration of Chinese products, which are causing unfair competition for European producers. While imposing duties is a sensitive and controversial issue, the focus should be on systemic measures to protect and support the competitiveness of the European industry, safeguarding an industry that employs more than a million people in the EU, in addition to other industries and workers involved in the sector.