Trump tariffs have already triggered Williams-Sonoma CEO to slash China exposure

Yahoo Finance
01-22

Williams-Sonoma (WSM) CEO Laura Alber hasn't waited for President Trump to enact more tariffs on China.

She has taken action and could take more action in the years ahead.

"In the first Trump administration, we saw the first wave of tariffs, and we reduced our China exposure by 50%," Alber told Yahoo Finance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The home goods and furnishing retailer now relies on China for 25% of its sourcing, Alber says. About 81% of its merchandise is sourced from Asia and Europe, according to its latest annual report.

"We aren't waiting for the next wave of tariffs. We've been working to continue to move our product elsewhere. So whether it's elsewhere in Asia or even in the United States. Most of our upholstery furniture is made in Mississippi or North Carolina," Alber added.

Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi (left) with Williams-Sonoma CEO Laura Alber at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Trump tariffs lurk as a dark cloud over consumer companies ranging from Best Buy (BBY) to Target (TGT).

During his run for another term, Trump pitched several ways he could increase tariffs. Those included a 10% to 20% tariff on all foreign imports, a 60% to 100% additional tariff on Chinese imports, and a 25% tariff on Mexican and Canadian imports.

Read more: How do tariffs work, and who really pays them?

Tariffs could materially impact furniture makers, as a good chunk of their merchandise is sourced from low-cost producers in China. 

Williams-Sonoma explained in its annual report that it could be forced to raise prices due to tariffs, which may weigh on consumer demand.

“Tariffs make it more difficult for us to maintain the low prices and be affordable for many people, which in the end is our goal. We have never experienced a period of benefit when we had high tariffs," IKEA CEO Jesper Brodin recently told CNN.

American consumers could lose between $46 billion and $78 billion in spending power each year if new tariffs are enacted by Trump, the NRF estimated. 

"We continue to believe the threat of tariffs is more bark than bite, particularly given the cumulative effect of inflation over the past four years," JPMorgan analyst Christopher Horvers wrote. "That said, while the depth and breadth of potential tariffs remains uncertain, we see toys, home furnishings, and electronics as most at-risk given high sourcing exposure to China (25-50%) and less pricing power, while home improvement and grocery safer given lower China exposure (10-15%) and higher pricing power, with autoparts straddling the two buckets (30-50% China exposure but strong pricing power). Of course, should the incoming administration place tariffs on all imports (vs. just China-sourced imports), the game changes."

Interestingly, furniture stocks have mostly shrugged off the tariff threat — for now. 

Over the past three months, shares of Williams-Sonoma are up 30%, and La-Z-Boy (LZB) has gained 8%. Ethan Allen (ETD) has shed 6%. 

"There's also the reality that we have incredible vendor partners who will help meet us on the tariffs, and because they want to keep the business — so there's a competitive nature to this ... And we will work together to engineer products so that we can absorb some of the tariffs," Alber said.

Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance's Executive Editor. Follow Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi, Instagram and on LinkedIn. Tips on stories? Email brian.sozzi@yahoofinance.com. Three times each week, Sozzi fields insight-filled conversations with the biggest names in business and markets on Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid podcast. Find more episodes on our video hub. Watch on your preferred streaming service. Or listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

Read the latest news and interviews from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland:

  • A trade war with China is coming as Trump takes office: Bremmer

  • Bank of America CEO: The Federal Reserve may have to respond to Trump

  • Trump coin and Melania coin are 'gambling tokens': Anthony Scaramucci

  • Trump, tariffs, crypto, and everything else that will dominate Davos

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