KCMA vs. Chinese Cabinet Manufacturers
Kitchen Cabinets • $12 Billion Industry • 250,000 Workers at Risk
The Battle
9-Year Fight for Fair Competition
The Enforcement Failure
Despite favorable rulings and winning 7 out of 8 EAPA cases at the staff level, 6 were overturned by senior leadership at CBP's Office of Rules and Regulations. Chinese suppliers continue to transship products to evade duties, putting a $12 billion industry employing 250,000 workers at risk.
Media Coverage
Industry Advocacy
2016-2019: Industry Under Siege
Domestic Industry Decimated
Domestic kitchen cabinet industry decimated by unfairly priced Chinese competition flooding the U.S. market. Imported cabinets sold at as much as 70% below domestic prices.
KCMA initiated a comprehensive 3-year investigation to document the scope and impact of unfair trade practices.
Filed Anti-Dumping (AD) petition at the International Trade Commission (ITC) and Department of Commerce (DOC).
Plant closures with thousands of jobs lost in Alabama, Indiana, New Jersey, Kansas, Texas, Virginia, and North Carolina.
2020: Crushing Legal Victory
Unanimous ITC Vote, Massive Dumping Margins
International Trade Commission voted 5-0, confirming material harm to the domestic industry by Chinese manufacturers.
Department of Commerce issued final Anti-Dumping orders, imposing duties up to 262% on Chinese kitchen cabinets.
With such decisive legal victories and massive dumping margins, the industry expected meaningful relief from unfair competition.
2020-Present: The Transshipment Game
Duties Evaded Through Southeast Asia
To evade duties, Chinese suppliers immediately changed behavior by transshipping products through various countries and companies across Southeast Asia.
Chinese manufacturers established sophisticated networks of shell companies across Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam to disguise product origin.
Despite legal victories, unfairly priced Chinese cabinets continued flooding the U.S. market through transshipment schemes.
Estimated $6.5 billion in lost revenue to the cabinet industry over the past 5 years due to continued evasion.
2021-2024: EAPA Battle
7 Staff Wins, 6 Senior Overturns
Filed 8 Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA) claims with CBP regarding transshipment concerns across multiple Southeast Asian countries.
Won 7 claims at the staff level, with CBP investigators finding clear evidence of duty evasion and transshipment.
However, 6 of those staff-level victories were overturned by senior leadership at CBP's Office of Rules and Regulations, nullifying the enforcement efforts.
The pattern of staff-level findings being overturned by senior officials demonstrates a systematic failure in trade enforcement.
2024-2025: The Cycle Continues
Zero Duties, Pending Reviews
DOC's Third Annual Review granted 0% duty to 22 PRC-based suppliers, effectively rewarding evasion behavior.
Pending sunset review by ITC to determine if the industry is still "harmed" - despite ongoing transshipment and evasion.
The $12 billion industry employing 250,000 workers (95% family-owned companies) remains at risk due to continued duty evasion.
The Harsh Reality
"Despite favorable rulings, Chinese suppliers continue to transship product to evade duties and penalties, putting this $12 billion cottage industry employing 250,000 workers at risk."
"We spent over $10 million in legal fees to advocate for our membership, won decisive legal victories with unanimous votes and massive dumping margins, yet enforcement failures have rendered these victories meaningless."
"Imports of wood products such as cabinets and vanities have surged, undermining billions in U.S. investments and curbing U.S. job growth."
"When 7 out of 8 staff-level EAPA wins are overturned by senior leadership, the system is fundamentally broken."
$10 Million Spent. Perfect Legal Record. Zero Relief.
The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association represents an entire industry under siege from systematic trade fraud.
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