U.S. mattress imports pulled back dramatically in November 2020 dropping 46%, marking the first year-over-year decline in more than a year due in part to new preliminary antidumping duties that went into effect during the month, according to an industry report.

Mattress imports from October increased 33% with nearly 1.3 million units imported.

Raymond James, citing U.S. International Trade Commission data, said mattress imports declined year-over-year in six of the seven countries targeted under the antidumping duties. Vietnam, the largest importer of mattresses in 2020, saw a 128,000-unit decline comparing November 2019 with November 2020. Countries cited in the latest trade case filed include Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Serbia, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.

Turkey was the one country in the group that logged an increase, posting an increase of more than 19,000 units year over year.

In the trailing 12 months from November, those seven countries brought in 8,623,619 mattress units, or 89% of the total imported units. Vietnam accounted for 2,824,429 units; Indonesia, 1,661,723 units; and Turkey, 1,187,375 units.

In its analysis of the import figures, Raymond James said while the numbers are from one month, the decline in imports on the heels of the antidumping duties is “encouraging” for the U.S. industry.

Raymond James added that “the antidumping duties have the potential to provide a nice tailwind for U.S. mattress producers in 2021, especially at the low end of the price spectrum,” mattress retailing below the $1,000 price point.

Source: Furniture Today