Whether furniture arrives showroom-ready or damaged comes down to two things: packing that protects edges, corners and finishes, and moisture control that stops wood warping or molding at sea. On top of that, wooden pallets, crates and skids need ISPM-15 treatment, even under boxed furniture, or customs can reject them at destination.
What this guide covers
Furniture and wood products are bulky, easily damaged at the edges and corners, and sensitive to moisture. They often ship semi-knocked-down (SKD, partly assembled) or completely built-up (CBU, fully assembled). This guide covers packing, moisture protection, wood-treatment rules such as ISPM-15, and choosing the right equipment.
Furniture and wood products this guide covers
Home furniture
Wooden beds, dining sets, sofas, cabinets and wardrobes
Office & institutional furniture
Desks, chairs, conference tables and shelving systems
Outdoor & garden furniture
Wooden patio sets, deck pieces and pergola components
Wood panels & raw wood products
Plywood, MDF boards, solid wood planks and veneers
Knock-down / flat-pack furniture
Boxed kits assembled at destination
Luxury & custom-built pieces
High-finish cabinetry, designer furniture and handcrafted wood items
Shipping furniture and wood products?
Get a quoteThree ways furniture gets damaged or held
Furniture shipping comes down to impact protection, moisture control and wood-treatment compliance, especially for natural wood.
Rough handling dents surfaces, scratches finishes and breaks corners. One scratch on polished wood can make a piece unsellable, so layer the protection.
- Edge protectors and corner guards
- Bubble wrap, foam cushions and honeycomb sheets
- Heavy-duty corrugated cartons for flat-packs
- "Do not stack" or "stack height limited" markings on delicate cargo
Wood absorbs humidity, which causes warping, swelling and mold on long ocean voyages. "Container sweat" (condensation inside the box) is a real risk, so moisture control starts before the container is loaded.
- Desiccant packets inside the packaging
- Silica gel or a moisture absorber in each carton
- Hanging desiccant units in ocean containers
- Plastic wrap and shrink film as an extra moisture barrier
- A dry, clean, ventilated loading area
International rules require wood packaging to be fumigated or heat-treated so it can't carry pests. Customs can reject untreated wood at destination, so you need ISPM-15 proof.
- ISPM-15 stamped wooden crates, pallets and skids
- A fumigation certificate or heat-treatment record
- No untreated raw wood packaging
- Boxed furniture must still comply if it sits on wooden pallets
Documents you'll need
The paperwork splits into two groups: the product and wood-compliance records you supply as the shipper, and the transport documents your forwarder prepares.
What you supply: product and wood-compliance documents
| Document | Why you need it |
|---|---|
| Commercial invoice and packing list | Lists the HS code, SKUs and dimensions |
| ISPM-15 compliance proof | Required for wooden pallets and crates |
| Material declaration (wood type and finish) | Some destinations require the wood species to be declared |
| Assembly and handling instructions (for KD/SKD goods) | Makes packing and unpacking safe |
What your forwarder prepares: transport documents
| Document | Why you need it |
|---|---|
| Bill of Lading / Air Waybill | The transport contract |
| Certificate of Origin (if requested) | Clarifies tariff treatment and origin for customs |
| Export declaration | The required export filing |
Shipping furniture and wood products?
Get a quoteRules by destination
Boxed, finished furniture still needs compliant pallets or skids.
- ISPM-15 compliance is mandatory
- Some states require a wood species declaration in certain cases
- ISPM-15 required
- EU timber regulations apply to raw wood imports (chain-of-custody requirement)
- ISPM-15 mandatory
- Extra fumigation checks for untreated wood
Choosing a mode and container
Flat-pack furniture fits efficiently in containers; assembled pieces take more space, so plan volume carefully.
| Mode | Best for |
|---|---|
| FCL container | Shipments large enough to fill a container |
| LCL (shared container) | Smaller orders and mixed shipments |
| Flat-rack or open-top | Oversized or bulky pieces |
| Air freight | Urgent orders and luxury pieces |
HS codes for common furniture and wood products
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 9403 | Wooden furniture (household/office) |
| 9401 | Seats and parts |
| 4412 | Plywood and veneered boards |
| 9404 | Mattress supports and bedding items |
These codes are indicative starting points, not a classification. Find the exact 10-digit line for your product in the HTS Code Finder. Getting the classification right is the importer of record’s legal responsibility.
Estimate US import duties for these codes with our free tariff simulator. Code list reference: https://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/nomenclature.aspx
Furniture shipping FAQs
Flat-pack when you can: it lowers freight cost and damage risk. Assembled furniture may need reinforced crates.
Yes. For international shipments, wooden pallets and crates must meet ISPM-15 unless an exemption applies.
Pack the cargo dry, then add desiccants, plastic wrap and container liners.
Yes, but keep it away from chemicals, liquids and heavy industrial items that could damage the cartons.
Physical damage to edges and surfaces. Layered packaging and stable pallets are what prevent it.
Shipping terms in this guide:Commercial InvoicePacking ListHarmonized System Code (HS Code)Bill of Lading (BOL)Air Waybill (AWB)Certificate of Origin (COO)
U.S. import duty on Furniture & Wood Commodities by country of origin
Total duty on the highest-value tariff lines in this category, by country of origin, calculated with our tariff engine and U.S. Census import values. Each page breaks down the duty components, how the rate has changed by entry date, and the landed-cost math.
- Upholstered wooden household seats from Vietnam
- Wooden furniture from Vietnam
- Wooden bedroom furniture from Vietnam
- Metal furniture from China
- Upholstered wooden household chairs from Vietnam
- Household metal furniture from Vietnam
- Child safety seats from China
- Upholstered seats from China
- Outdoor seats from China
- Wooden kitchen cabinets from Vietnam
- Outdoor household seats from Vietnam
- Metal furniture parts from China
- Wooden furniture from China
- Parts of seats from Vietnam
- Wooden furniture parts from Vietnam
- Metal furniture from Thailand
40 more in this group. Rates are our tariff engine's total for a commercial entry today. Open a page for the duty lines behind a rate and how it changed by entry date, browse all import duty pages, or price your own shipment.
Shipping furniture or wood products?
We can help you plan packing, ISPM-15 compliance, moisture control and equipment for your furniture or wood cargo.
Get a quote to ship furniture and wood products
Tell us the product, where it ships from and to, and the container size or weight. We reply with the freight rate, the destination charges and the services included. The guide you were reading is already in the notes.