The American Kitchen Cabinet Alliance and its individual members filed a petition with the U.S. International Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Commerce on March 6, alleging that the domestic cabinet industry is materially injured or threatened by reason of dumped and subsidized imports from China.
The alliance – which include Dura Supreme Cabinetry, American Woodmark Corp. and MasterBrand Cabinets Inc. – allege $2 billion to $4 billion in harm to the U.S. industry, which the group says accounts for about 250,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Chinese imports of kitchen cabinets into the United States are up by more than 75 percent since 2015 and threaten this $9.5 billion American industry, according the AKCA.
“China has manipulated global production and captured a large and growing portion of the market, manufacturing dumped and subsidized products, and has taken jobs away from hardworking Americans,” Tim Brightbill, chief counsel for the alliance, said in a statement.
“Today’s filing at Commerce and the ITC demonstrates an important first step in stopping the surge of dumped and subsidized Chinese cabinet products coming into the United States.”
The AKCA is calling on the Trump administration and congressional allies to join in the fight against unfair Chinese cheating and to create a level playing field for American kitchen cabinet workers.
Other members of the alliance include ACProducts Inc., Bellmont Cabinet Co., Bertch Cabinet Mfg., The Corsi Group, Crystal Cabinet Works Inc., Jim Bishop Cabinets Inc., Kitchen Kompact Inc., Koch & Co. Inc., Kountry Wood Products LLC, Lanz Cabinets Inc., Leedo Cabinetry, Marsh Furniture Co., Master WoodCraft Cabinetry LLC, Nation’s Cabinetry, Showplace Wood Products Inc., Smart Cabinetry, Tru Cabinetry, Wellborn Cabinet Inc., Wellborn Forest Products Inc., Woodland Cabinetry Inc., Woodmont Cabinetry, and W. W. Wood Products Inc.
For more information, visit www.kitchencabinetfairtrade.com.
This article originally appeared in the May 2019 issue.