U.S. – The U.S. Department of Commerce issues on October preliminary antidumping determination on wooden cabinets and vanities imported from China.

Preliminary duties range from 4.49% to 262.18%, with most Chinese producers facing antidumping duties of 39.25%. The United States imported some USD 4.4 billion worth of wooden cabinets, vanities and their components from China in 2018. The subsidy and dumping investigations were launched in March based on petitions from the American Kitchen Cabinet Alliance.

“Today’s determination allows the American kitchen cabinet industry to keep fighting against the unfairness of China’s trade practices,” said Mark Trexler, President and CEO of Master WoodCraft. “There are still more than 250,000 American jobs hanging in the balance. The Department of Commerce clearly understands the importance of this issue and the need to keep working to create an even playing field.”

“This is a good next step in the process of leveling the playing field for American manufacturers, and we look forward to the final determinations,” said Perry Miller, President of Kountry Wood Products. “Today’s determination makes it possible to move forward and continue to fight for our workers and for American jobs. We are all grateful to the Department of Commerce for their continued work on this issue.”

The Commerce Department is expected to issue its final determination in this investigation in February 2020. As a result of this decision, additional cash deposits will be required on all wooden cabinets and vanities imported from China.

These antidumping duties are in addition to earlier countervailing duties averaging 16 percent, which have been in effect since August, and Section 301 duties of 25 percent.  Evasion and circumvention of these duties is prohibited by law and can result in civil and criminal penalties.

On March 6, 2019, the American Kitchen Cabinet Alliance (AKCA) initiated one of the largest trade cases ever filed against Chinese imports at the International Trade Commission and the Department of Commerce – a case which challenges China’s manipulation and unfair trade practices in the wooden cabinet and vanity production industry.

The AKCA is comprised of more than 50 member companies based across the United States. With this preliminary determination, the AKCA looks forward to next steps at the Commerce Department to continue its efforts to push back on unfairly traded Chinese imports and ensure a level playing field for American workers.