USA – Less than two weeks from a February 20th U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) final hearing, The American Coalition of Cabinet Distributors (ACCD) remains confident that the ITC will find that imports of Ready-to Assemble (RTA) cabinets have not injured the petitioners in the Wooden Cabinets and Vanities from China trade case.

The Coalition released a letter to the ITC from members of the New Jersey Congressional delegation in support of the state’s RTA kitchen cabinet industry.

“We hope that the Commission will consider the unique characteristics of the RTA kitchen cabinet market in weighing this decision,” wrote New Jersey Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker and Representatives Albio Sires, Donald M. Payne, Jr., Bill Pascrell, Jr. and Bonnie Watson Coleman. “Over the past ten years, American entrepreneurs have built the RTA sector from nothing, developing warehouse and distribution cabinetry businesses that utilize global supply chains to reliably provide customers with affordable and high-quality cabinets in a matter of days. These companies and the products they distribute help support tens of thousands of jobs across the United States.”

“We are confident that the ITC will look at the facts of this case and find no injury,” said ACCD counsel Matthew Nicely, Partner, Hughes Hubbard & Reed. “The thriving U.S. cabinet market is approximately USD 30 billion, far larger than petitioners claim, and imports from China comprise well less than 10% of the total U.S. market. The fair trade laws were simply not meant to be used to impose trade restrictions on imports that are growing their own market in the United States based on distinct, qualitative product characteristics that are unavailable from domestically sourced merchandise.”

“Masterbrand, American Woodmark and the other U.S. producers that import RTA cabinets are well aware that these RTA products do not compete head-to-head with their domestically produced stock, custom and semi-custom product lines,” said Nicely.