How tariffs pushed Canadian furniture exporter to grow beyond the U.S.

Canadian exporters are no strangers to uncertainty—but for furniture companies operating across North America, trade volatility and supply chain pressure have forced some of the toughest decisions yet.

Export resiliency now depends on flexibility, strong partnerships and the ability to adapt quickly to change.

In a recent episode of Export Development Canada’s (EDC) Export Impact Podcast, Jade Merriman, vice-president at LH Home—a Burnaby, BC-based furniture distributor—shares how the company adapted its export strategy to look beyond its largest market toward its neighbour, Mexico.

With a business model built on cross-border furniture logistics, the women-led Canadian business is deeply impacted by tariffs, trade policy changes and international shipping realities. Drawing on nearly 16 years with LH Home, Merriman offers an on-the-ground view of how Canadian exporters are navigating North American trade.

Tune in to the Export Impact Podcast and find out how LH Home overcame challenges to scale globally. Follow us on your favourite streaming platforms, so you never miss an episode. New episodes are released on the last Thursday of each month.

LH Home didn’t start out as an established North American business-to-business (B2B) furniture wholesaler. When Merriman joined the company, it was primarily focused on the Canadian market, with a limited number of collections and a domestic growth strategy.

“When I first joined Lisa (McMahon), my partner, we were very much Canadian-based with a few collections,” Merriman explains. “As we grew the Canadian business as the main focus, we started with a Seattle gift show. At that time, we saw that there was a lot of potential.”

That first step into the U.S. market was pivotal—and intimidating. Today, LH Home operates as a Canadian furniture distributor supplying designers, retailers, architects, builders, hotels and restaurants across North America.

“You don’t always see our brand. We’re definitely behind the scenes, but you will see us on Wayfair and on different platforms online,” Merriman says.

While LH Home doesn’t run its own retail stores, brick-and-mortar retailers make up the bulk of its business. Hospitality has become a major growth area, thanks to LH Home’s flexibility and ability to customize products.

Today, the company’s footprint reflects its role in Canada-U.S.-Mexico furniture trade. “Our business is about 50% in Canada, about 45% in the U.S. and 5% in Mexico,” Merriman says, quickly adding, “but all of that is about to change.”

That change is already underway. While the U.S. has long been a major focus, LH Home has been steadily building momentum in Mexico over the past few years.

“We’ve been growing our Mexico business over just the last few years, so it’s really picking up, and we’re excited about that,” Merriman says.

Early expansion into the U.S. brought new risks for the Canadian furniture exporter, particularly around payment risk and cross-border furniture logistics.

“At first, it was more about payment,” Merriman explains. “In Canada, you could very easily go and have a sales rep knock on a door and look for payment if you needed to.”

Navigating exporting from Canada to the U.S. and Mexico also meant learning unfamiliar customs processes and documentation requirements. To manage that uncertainty, LH Home leaned on experienced partners—and EDC support for North American expansion.

“We did reach out to EDC in the early stages and they supported us with insurance on orders that were going out, which gave us a lot more confidence in continuing to grow the export side of the business,” Merriman explains.

That early use of EDC trade credit insurance for exporters helped reduce risk in U.S. and Mexico sales, allowing LH Home to focus on strengthening customer relationships, rather than worrying about non-payment.

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Tariffs have become a defining challenge for Canadian exporters navigating North American trade, and furniture companies have been hit especially hard, impacting pricing, the costs of logistics and customer relationships.

For LH Home, the structure of its cross-border furniture logistics creates a built-in disadvantage. “As a Canadian business importing into Canada, when exporting into the U.S., we’re at a complete disadvantage with our U.S. competitors,” Merriman explains. Since the company exports from Canada, tariffs affecting Canadian exporters are applied to the selling price of its products—unlike U.S. competitors that import directly and pay tariffs on cost—effectively doubling the tariffs for the Canadian furniture exporter.

In response, the company has had to rethink its North American supply chain strategy. One major pivot has been the introduction of a consolidated warehouse in Vietnam.

“We’ve looked at a Vietnam consolidation warehouse, so we’ll be able to supply our customers in the U.S. directly from our Vietnam warehouse,” Merriman explains. At the same time, LH Home has adjusted pricing and shifted its value proposition. “Now, it’s less of a price point, competitive edge and more the other things that we offer—the unique product, customer service is extremely important to us,” she says.

Just as important has been transparency during periods of North American trade volatility. “The last thing that I should point out is communication,” Merriman says. “The transparency has been extremely important… some of our customers and partners even say that the most information they get on tariffs is from us.”

LH Home is a women-led Canadian business—still a rarity in the furniture industry. Merriman says that wasn’t always easy.

“When I first started with the business, being a young woman in the industry, I found quite challenging,” she recalls. “We would go to trade shows internationally and it was very much a man’s world in our industry.”

Over time, the industry has evolved, but challenges remain. “It felt, at times, you weren’t taken as seriously,” Merriman says. Her advice to other women leaders? “Don’t change your personality for this.”

“What matters is that you take your business serious and you go in with the confidence that you need to lead your team or lead operations,” she advises.

Despite the hurdles, Merriman is optimistic about the future and is proud to see more women entering the business. Her experience echoes broader efforts to support women in trade and investment, helping more women-led businesses break into global markets.

As tariffs, supply chain disruptions and North American market volatility reshape the market, Merriman’s experience offers practical guidance for Canadian furniture exporters looking to stay competitive, resilient and prepared for uncertainty.

Drawing on years of cross-border growth, she shares four export tips for companies selling across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

1. Prioritize clear, frequent communication

For Merriman, resilience starts with transparency. “We have meetings with our whole team daily or weekly just to bring everyone up to speed, so that when they’re talking with their customers directly, they have the information they need and it’s current.”

2. Stay flexible and act quickly

Flexibility has been central to LH Home’s ability to adapt its North American supply chain strategy. “Being flexible and willing to change—we’ve always been like that,” Merriman explains. “If you wait too long, you’ve passed your opportunity.”

3. Build resilience through leadership mindset

Resilience also starts at the top. “It’s stressful, it’s challenging, but I show up with a smile and I know we’re going to make it through this,” Merriman says. Drawing on lessons from the 2008 recession and the COVID-19 pandemic, she emphasizes the importance of leading with calm and optimism—even during stressful periods of volatility.

4. Support partners through uncertainty

LH Home’s focus extends beyond internal teams to its retail and hospitality partners. By staying close to customers and understanding what they need most during uncertain times, the Canadian furniture company has been able to strengthen long-term relationships.

For LH Home, navigating tariffs affecting Canadian exporters and ongoing North American trade volatility has meant rethinking supply chains, strengthening cross-border partnerships and leading with transparency.

Merriman’s experience shows that while uncertainty is now a constant for Canadian furniture exporters, adaptability, clear communication and trusted support can open the door to new markets and long-term growth beyond the U.S.

Ready to learn more? Listen to the Export Impact Podcast on edc.ca, or subscribe on Spotify, Apple or Amazon Music, and start turning your international business goals into reality.

This content was created, in part, using generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI).