South Shore Furniture is shutting down its operations after trade pressure left the Quebec company unable to keep going. The decision was announced on Monday, with the exact timing of the shutdown tied to a gradual wind-down over the next several weeks in Sainte-Croix and Coaticook, Quebec. demand has vanished on both sides of the border as tariffs and dumping pressure have taken a toll.
Plants in Sainte-Croix and Coaticook to close over several weeks
South Shore Furniture said its plants in Sainte-Croix and Coaticook will close gradually over the next several weeks. its 126 employees on Monday morning, marking a sharp turn for one of Quebec’s major furniture makers and a business that has operated for 86 years.
it could not continue in the face of dumping by rivals from China and Vietnam, which has pushed prices lower. It also pointed to the effect of U. S. import tariffs, saying those measures have hurt its own sales into the country and redirected Asian exports meant for the U. S. toward less restrictive markets such as Canada. South Shore Furniture said its sales have fallen 77 per cent between 2022 and 2025.
South Shore Furniture says trade pressure left no room to recover
Charles Laflamme, South Shore’s general manager, said the company tried everything to keep the business and protect jobs. “This is an extremely difficult situation for our family and for our employees, ” Laflamme said. “We tried everything to maintain our operations and their jobs but it’s become impossible to pursue our business in a market where World Trade Organization rules are not respected. ”
Gilles Pelletier, chief executive of the Quebec Furniture Manufacturers Association, said Asian countries have been increasing shipments of low-cost furniture into Canada as the U. S. tightens access to imports. He said those products are being sold at prices even cheaper than in their domestic markets, which would amount to a violation of WTO rules if proven. Pelletier also said South Shore Furniture and other Canadian manufacturers are finding it harder to sell into the U. S., where buyers are increasingly focused on “tariff-free furniture. ”
Why South Shore Furniture mattered to Sainte-Croix
Sainte-Croix, a town of about 2, 700 people southwest of Quebec City, depends heavily on South Shore Furniture. The company is one of two major employers in the community, so the shutdown is likely to be felt well beyond the factory floor.
South Shore Furniture makes ready-to-assemble furniture including dressers, beds, nightstands and bookshelves. The company, founded and owned by the Laflamme family, had modernized its equipment in recent years, adding robots and new systems, but later was forced to cut inventory and let some employees go as cash flow tightened.
What happens next for South Shore Furniture
The immediate focus now is the orderly shutdown of South Shore Furniture’s Quebec plants and the impact on workers and the local economy. The company’s closure adds to the strain already facing wood-product manufacturing, with other Canadian furniture makers also having halted production in Canada last year. For now, the key question is how quickly the shutdown unfolds and what the loss of South Shore Furniture means for Sainte-Croix in the weeks ahead.
