site.btaBulgaria Produced Furniture Worth EUR 535 Mln in 2024 – Industry Chamber

Bulgaria produced furniture worth EUR 535 million in 2024, said Branch Chamber of Woodworking and Furniture Industry (BCWFI) President Vasil Zhivkov during the Chamber’s annual conference, held Friday in the Borovets resort.

Earlier on Friday, the BCWFI presented its annual awards to the Bulgarian companies in the woodworking and furniture sectors with the highest export performance and turnover in 2024.

In 2024 Bulgaria reported an all-time peak in furniture consumption, reaching EUR 503 million, Zhivkov said. According to him, this can be interpreted as an indication of rising living standards and increased investment in furnishing homes, offices, hotels and retail spaces.

Furniture made of solid wood and wood-based materials accounted for the largest share of domestic production (27.6%), followed by wooden-frame seating furniture (13%) and mattresses (8.6%).

Bulgaria ranks 56th globally and 26th in Europe by production volume; 40th and 23rd by exports; 51st and 25th by imports; and 60th and 24th by consumption. The country performs strongest in exports and, according to Zhivkov, is "at least in this sector, not at the bottom in the EU".

In 2024, Bulgaria exported EUR 501 million worth of furniture, while imports reached a record EUR 471 million. Major sources of imports are China (30%), Turkiye (16%) and Poland (12%). The top 10 also include Germany, Romania, Italy, Ukraine, Serbia, Vietnam and North Macedonia.

The main export destinations for Bulgarian furniture are Romania, Greece and Poland are. The top 10 markets also include France, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Italy and Slovakia, the latter replacing Serbia in 2024.

Zhivkov noted that the industry faces several key challenges and one of them is low labour productivity. In Bulgaria the sector employs 22,000 people for production worth EUR 500 million, compared to France, where 18,000 people produce EUR 7.5 billion. This highlights a significant productivity gap that must be addressed, he noted.

Other difficulties stem from regulatory burdens, including implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation. The sector is calling for a 12-month postponement of core obligations and for reduced administrative pressure on small and micro enterprises. Zhivkov also pointed to challenges related to the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, which, according to expert assessments, could fundamentally reshape furniture production. The industry insists that requirements focus on durability, reliability and reparability rather than rigid quotas for recycled or recyclable materials.

The sector is also urging tighter control over imports due to the risk of Chinese furniture being redirected to Europe as a result of US customs tariffs. A serious shortage of skilled workers remains another pressing issue.