I.  Type of Action: Antidumping Duty (“AD”) and Countervailing Duty (“CVD”)

II. Product:

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 a top, 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.

III.  HTS Classifications:

Imports of subject merchandise are classified under Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) statistical numbers 9403.40.9060 and 9403.60.8081. Major component parts of kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities may be entered into the United States under HTSUS statistical number 9403.90.7080. The most-favored nation duty rate for imports under these HTS numbers is zero percent.

The tariff numbers are provided for the convenience of the U.S. government and do not define  the scope of the petition. The written description of the merchandise under investigation is dispositive.

IV.  Date of Filing: March 6, 2019

V.  Petitioners: American Kitchen Cabinet Alliance

VI.  Foreign Producers/Exporters:

Please contact our office for a list filed with the petition.

VII.  U.S. Importers:

Please contact our office for a list filed with the petition.

VIII.  Alleged Dumping Margins (No CVD Margins Listed):

175.50% to 259.99%

IX.  Comments:

A.  Projected date of ITC Preliminary Conference: March 27, 2019.

B.  The earliest theoretical date for retroactive suspension of liquidation for the AD is May 15, 2019; CVD is March 26, 2019.

Please contact our office for a complete projected schedule for the AD and CVD investigation.

C.  Volume and Value of Imports:

Please contact our office for a summary of the data filed with the petition.

D.  List of Alleged Subsidy Programs:

Please contact our office for a list of alleged subsidy programs.

If you have questions regarding how this investigation may impact future imports of scope merchandise or whether a particular product is within the scope of the investigation, please contact one of our attorneys.