Trump-supporting timber business owner struggles as tariffs disrupt trade

An American timber business owner who supports Donald Trump is grappling with unsold inventory and shrinking cash flow due to the ongoing trade war, as Washington's punitive tariffs weigh heavily on his operations and push him to seek alternatives to the Chinese market.

Brandon Arbogast, the owner of Valley Log Sales in Timberville, Virginia, has spent decades in the lumber industry, exporting premium Virginia timber, primarily to China.

In this market, a high-quality timber log can fetch up to 4,000 U.S. dollars. However, the Trump administration's tariffs have upended his trade, leaving him with inventory that would normally be sold overseas.

Although Arbogast is well-versed in the cyclical nature of the lumber business, he now finds himself confronting an unprecedented challenge.

"It's not going too good. We are in a trade war. China takes in about 60 percent of American hardwood, lumber, and logs, and they are such a big market that it makes the rest of the world play fair. It makes it very competitive. And with them not buying, it turns out there are a lot of logs on the market now. Since they are not buying, and people are trying to get the logs as cheap as they can, the rich get richer, and the middle class, like me, suffer," Arbogast said.

Sitting on 120,000 to 130,000 U.S. dollars' worth of unsold wood, Arbogast is contemplating selling some of his land to maintain cash flow.

"I can still hold for a while. I've been okay in this business; the business has been kind to me. I've worked very hard to get where I am. I can hold for a little while. I can't hold forever. I'm just hoping soon something happens with the trade deal, and you know it works out for both sides," Arbogast added.

Despite the difficulties, Arbogast remains hopeful. He is not angry with President Trump. As a self-identified Trump supporter, Arbogast is willing to endure the hardship, hoping that a resolution to the trade dispute will eventually bring relief.

For now, his premium walnut logs, which are typically transformed into furniture, flooring, and kitchen cabinets, remain idle in the field, surrounded by growing crops.

The unsold walnut wood has become a growing concern for Arbogast's business. Like many small business owners around the world, he and countless others are waiting for progress.

Eyes are now on Geneva, where high-level talks on China-U.S. economic and trade affairs commenced on Saturday.

China's lead representative, He Lifeng, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice premier, attended the meeting alongside U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Although Geneva may seem like a million miles away, small business owners like Arbogast are eager for signs of progress. While they can hold out for now, they are hoping to return to normal operations -- shipping logs worldwide and ensuring jobs for workers who transform timber into essential products.

Trump-supporting timber business owner struggles as tariffs disrupt trade

Trump-supporting timber business owner struggles as tariffs disrupt trade

Trump-supporting timber business owner struggles as tariffs disrupt trade

Trump-supporting timber business owner struggles as tariffs disrupt trade

Trump-supporting timber business owner struggles as tariffs disrupt trade

From cutting-edge technology exhibitions to retail stores thousands of kilometers away from Europe and Southeast Asia, China-made robot vacuum cleaners are increasingly becoming a popular choice among consumers worldwide.

At electronics retailers in Berlin, Germany, Chinese brands such as Roborock and Dreame occupy prominent positions in dedicated robot vacuum sections, offering a wide range of products priced between 200 and 2,000 euros.

Many local consumers said that when purchasing smart home appliances including robot vacuum cleaners, they tend to give priority to Chinese-made products.

"It's a good price and good quality. It's also the innovation. I have a feeling that the European brands are not innovating enough," said one customer.

"I think they're always on top of the other technologies. They are getting them out faster. A lot of us are switching to the Chinese technology," another consumer said.

Germany is one of the most important overseas markets for China's floor-cleaning robots.

According to data from market research firm GfK, from January to November 2025, more than six out of 10 robot vacuum cleaners sold in Western Europe were Chinese brands.

Industry data also point to a strong global momentum.

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global shipments of smart robot vacuum cleaners reached 17.424 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent.

Chinese brands including Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, Xiaomi and Narwal ranked among the world's top five in terms of shipment volume, with a combined share of nearly 70 percent of the global market.

At a robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing plant in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, workers were seen stepping up production of newly launched models that recently debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States, which concluded Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The factory adjusted its production lines as early as December 2025 and stocked inventory in advance for overseas markets to ensure that new products could be delivered to global consumers at the earliest possible time.

"In 2025, Roborock's global shipments exceeded 7.2 million units. Since 2024, overseas revenue has accounted for more than 50 percent of our total revenue. Our products have now been sold to more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than 20 million households worldwide," said Quan Gang, president of Roborock.

At another robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing facility in Dongguan, Guangdong, rising overseas orders have prompted the company to upgrade its production lines with intelligent technologies to further boost capacity. The factory is currently operating at full load to meet a growing demand.

"For 2026, we have already obtained overseas orders worth at least 300 million to 400 million yuan (around 43 million to 57.3 million U.S. dollars). In addition, we've engaged in strategic cooperation with European home appliance group Cebos Group, and our total confirmed orders have exceeded 600 million yuan (around 86 million U.S. dollars)," said Zhang Junbin, founder and CEO of Narwal Robotics.

Chinese robot vacuum brands gain strong global traction