{
  "id": 5552231,
  "title": "Muskoka chair maker’s tariff woes highlight challenges for mom-and-pop manufacturers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/muskoka-chair-makers-tariff-woes-highlight-challenges-for-mom-and-pop-5552231",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-04T12:07:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Global News",
    "slug": "global-news-globalnews",
    "url": "https://globalnews.ca/news/12047666/muskoka-chair-makers-tariff-woes-highlight-challenges-for-mom-and-pop-manufacturers/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Canadian Muskoka chair manufacturer, DFC Woodworks Inc., is contemplating shifting its primary production to the United States due to U.S. tariffs. Established in 1955, the Kemptville, Ontario-based firm crafts outdoor wooden patio furniture, including Muskoka chairs, which are also known as Adirondack chairs. Approximately 70% of the company's furniture exports to the U.S. are now taxed at a 50% duty rate, creating a financial burden and posing a significant dilemma for the family-run business.\n\nDFC Woodworks president François Bruneau explains that the elevated tariff costs have left the company with difficult choices. They must either bear the added expenses, risk a decrease in U.S. sales, or relocate a majority of their manufacturing operations to the United States. International affairs professor Fen Hampson from Carleton University highlights the challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises like DFC Woodworks, stating that these mom-and-pop manufacturers often lack the financial resources, diversified markets, and specialized trade expertise that larger corporations possess to navigate a trade war successfully.",
  "summary": "A Canadian Muskoka chair maker hit hard by U.S. tariffs is considering moving the bulk of its manufacturing to the United States.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Muskoka chair maker’s tariff woes highlight challenges for mom-and-pop manufacturers",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/muskoka-chair-makers-tariff-woes-highlight-challenges-for-mom-and-pop",
        "published": "2026-09-04T08:00:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Global News",
        "title": "Muskoka chair maker’s tariff woes highlight challenges for mom-and-pop manufacturers",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/muskoka-chair-makers-tariff-woes-highlight-challenges-for-mom-and-pop-5550258",
        "published": "2026-09-04T12:07:10.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}