Petition Filed for New AD/CV Duties on Wooden Cabinets and Vanities From China

A coalition of domestic manufacturers is seeking the imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties on wooden cabinets and vanities from China, it said in a petition filed March 5 with the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission. The petition targets wood-constructed products serving the purpose and function of permanently affixed cabinetry typically found throughout the home, including kitchen and bath cabinetry, modular vanities, and pedestal vanities. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD/CVD investigations that could eventually result in the assessment of AD/CV duties.

"The AKCA is standing up for more than 250,000 American workers across the industry in the United States," the American Kitchen Cabinet Alliance said in a press release. "As a result of China's manipulation and unfair trade practices in kitchen cabinet and bath vanity production, Chinese imports of kitchen cabinets into the United States are up by more than 75 percent since 2015 and threaten our $9.5 billion American industry."

Proposed Scope

The petition proposes the following scope for the investigations:

The merchandise subject to these investigations consists of wooden cabinets and vanities that are designed for permanent installation (including floor mounted, wall mounted, ceiling hung or by attachment of plumbing), and wooden components thereof. Wooden cabinets and vanities and wooden components are made substantially of wood products, including solid wood and engineered wood products (including those made from wood particles, fibers, or other wooden materials such as plywood, strand board, block board, particle board, or fiberboard), or bamboo. Wooden cabinets and vanities consist of a cabinet box (which typically includes a top, bottom, sides, back, base blockers, ends/end panels, stretcher rails, toe kicks, and/or shelves) and may or may not include a frame, door, drawers and/or shelves. Subject merchandise includes wooden cabinets and vanities with or without wood veneers, wood, paper or other overlays, or laminates, with or without non-wood components or trim such as metal, marble, glass, plastic, or other resins, whether or not surface finished or unfinished, and whether or not assembled or completed.

Wooden cabinets and vanities are covered by the investigation whether or not they are imported attached to, or in conjunction with, faucets, metal plumbing, sinks and/or sink bowls, or countertops. If wooden cabinets or vanities are imported attached to, or in conjunction with, such merchandise, only the wooden cabinet or vanity is covered by the scope.

Subject merchandise includes the following wooden component parts of cabinets and vanities: (1) wooden cabinet and vanity frames (2) wooden cabinet and vanity boxes (which typically include atop, bottom, sides, back, base blockers, ends/end panels, stretcher rails, toe kicks, and/or shelves), (3) wooden cabinet or vanity doors, (4) wooden cabinet or vanity drawers and drawer components (which typically include sides, backs, bottoms, and faces), (5) back panels and end panels, (6) and desks, shelves, and tables that are attached to or incorporated in the subject merchandise.

Subject merchandise includes all unassembled, assembled and/or "ready to assemble" (RTA) wooden cabinets and vanities, also commonly known as "flat packs," except to the extent such merchandise is already covered by the scope of antidumping and countervailing duty orders on Hardwood Plywood from the People's Republic of China. See Certain Hardwood Plywood Products from the People's Republic of China, 83 Fed. Reg. 504 (Dep't Commerce Jan. 4, 2018) (amended final deter. of sales at less than fair value, & antidumping duty order); Certain Hardwood Plywood Products from the People's Republic of China, 83 Fed. Reg. 513 (Dep't Commerce Jan. 4, 2018) (countervailing duty order). RTA wooden cabinets and vanities are defined as cabinets or vanities packaged so that at the time of importation they may include: (1) wooden components required to assemble a cabinet or vanity (including drawer faces and doors); and (2) parts (e.g., screws, washers, dowels, nails, handles, knobs, adhesive glues) required to assemble a cabinet or vanity. RTAs may enter the United States in one or in multiple packages.

Subject merchandise also includes wooden cabinets and vanities and in-scope components that have been further processed in a third country, including but not limited to one or more of the following: trimming, cutting, notching, punching, drilling, painting, staining, finishing, assembly, or any other processing that would not otherwise remove the merchandise from the scope of the investigation if performed in the country of manufacture of the in-scope product.

Excluded from the scope of these investigations, if entered separate from a wooden cabinet or vanity are:

(1) Aftermarket accessory items which may be added to or installed into an interior of a cabinet and which are not considered a structural or core component of a wooden cabinet or vanity. Aftermarket accessory items may be made of wood, metal, plastic, composite material, or a combination thereof that can be inserted into a cabinet and which are utilized in the function of organization/accessibility on the interior of a cabinet; and include:

• Inserts or dividers which are placed into drawer boxes with the purpose of organizing or dividing the internal portion of the drawer into multiple areas for the purpose of containing smaller items such as cutlery, utensils, bathroom essentials, etc.
• Round or oblong inserts that rotate internally in a cabinet for the purpose of accessibility to foodstuffs, dishware, general supplies, etc.

(2) Carved wooden accessories including corbels and rosettes, which serve the primary purpose of decoration and personalization.

(3) Non-wooden cabinet hardware components including metal hinges, brackets, catches, locks, drawer slides, fasteners (nails, screws, tacks, staples), handles, and knobs.

Also excluded from the scope of these investigations are:

(1) All products covered by the scope of the antidumping duty order on Wooden Bedroom Furniture from the People's Republic of China (Inv. No. A-570- 890). See Wooden Bedroom Furniture From the People's Republic of China, 70 Fed. Reg. 329 (Dep't Commerce Jan. 4, 2005) (notice of amended final deter. of sales at less than fair value & antidumping duty order).

(2) All products covered by the scope of the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on Hardwood Plywood from the People's Republic of China (Inv. No. A-570-051 and Inv. No. C-570-052). See Certain Hardwood Plywood Products from the People's Republic of China, 83 Fed. Reg. 504 (Dep't Commerce Jan. 4, 2018) (amended final deter. of sales at less than fair value, & antidumping duty order) (Certain Hardwood Plywood Products from the People's Republic of China, 83 Fed. Reg. 513 (Dep't Commerce Jan. 4, 2018) (countervailing duty order).

Imports of subject merchandise are classified under Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the. United States (HTSUS) statistical numbers 9403.40.9060 and 9403.60.8081. The subject component parts of wooden cabinets and vanities may be entered into the United States under HTSUS statistical number 9403.90.7080. Although the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the scope of these investigations is dispositive.

Commerce Accepting Comments on Petition Support

The Commerce Department is accepting comments on domestic industry support for the petitions to determine whether the petitions meet the dual requirements of support by domestic producers or workers accounting for (1) at least 25% of the total production of the domestic-like product and (2) more than 50% of the production of the domestic-like product produced by that portion of the industry expressing support for, or opposition to, the petition. If the petitions meet these requirements, among others, Commerce will initiate antidumping and countervailing duty investigations. Comments are due March 25.

Email ITTNews@warren-news.com for a copy of the petition.