U.S. Wood Mouldings and Millwork Producers Initiate Trade Cases Against China and Brazil to Address Dumping and Subsidies

January 8, 2020

Washington, DC — The Coalition of American Millwork Producers (CAMP) today petitioned the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to restore the conditions of fair trade in wood mouldings and other millwork products among the United States, China, and Brazil. Filed by Wiley Rein LLP, CAMP’s new antidumping and countervailing duty cases stand up for a U.S. industry that employs thousands of Americans and has existed for generations. 

“Producers from China and Brazil have captured a large and growing portion of the wood mouldings and millwork market by dumping products in the U.S. market, taking jobs away from hard-working Americans,” said Timothy C. Brightbill, trade counsel to CAMP.

“The Chinese government has further aggravated this unfair market by providing a wide range of subsidies to its producers,” said Mr. Brightbill, partner in Wiley Rein’s International Trade Practice. “Our cases aim to stop the surge of dumped and subsidized wood mouldings and millwork products in the United States and level the playing field for American businesses and workers.”

The filed trade petition details the injury suffered by U.S. industry and workers by unfairly traded millwork products imported into the United States from these countries. Brazil and China’s market share from 2016 to 2019 increased by more than 10 percentage points, while the U.S. industry lost 7 to 9 percentage points of market share during the same period. The U.S. industry also lost production; shipments; workers; hours worked; and gross, operating, and net profits during this period.

Millwork building materials subject to this petition include wood mouldings and other wood millwork products. Examples include interior and exterior door frames, casing, base mouldings, hand rails, crown moulding, and panel moulding. In 2018, total sales of these products in the United States were approximately $1.3 billion.  

CAMP’s legal action seeks for the United States to impose duties to offset the harm caused to U.S. mills, workers, and communities through these unlawful actions by Chinese and Brazilian millwork producers. CAMP’s petition is supported by manufacturers that comprise the vast majority of all wood mouldings and other wood millwork materials produced in the United States.

Trade investigations at Commerce and the ITC take about 12 months from start to finish.  Preliminary duties to offset unfair trade can be imposed approximately four to six months after petitions are filed.

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The Coalition of American Millwork Producers is an alliance of large and small millwork producers from across the United States. CAMP is committed to addressing the unfair trade practices of China and Brazil, including dumping and subsidizing of wood millwork products sold into the United States.