During a recent press conference, Senator John Thune remarked, “I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact that businesses like Showplace Cabinetry in Harrisburg, South Dakota, have on the local community. Manufacturing businesses provide good paying jobs and opportunities for so many hardworking Americans, and it is critical that they have the regulatory certainty that they need to thrive.”

Senator Thune is correct: the cabinet industry alone supports 250,000 American jobs, and thousands of positions in South Dakota. However, across America’s heartland, these jobs are under threat due to predatory foreign trade practices seeking to undermine American cabinetmakers.

As the President and CEO of Showplace Cabinetry, every day I walk the factory floor and meet with our workers, who are truly the backbone of our great American cabinet company. We are proud to support over 700 employees at a 100 percent employee owned company, a business model that is hard to find these days and all the more necessary to preserve. Our craftsmanship is exceptional, and our team earns a very comprehensive benefits package and family-supporting salaries. As underpriced foreign cabinet imports inundate the U.S. market at unprecedented levels, the hardworking Americans in this $14 billion industry must be at the forefront of the discussion as President Donald Trump weighs targeted tariff action.

For years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) dumped heavily subsidized cabinets and cabinet components in the U.S. In 2020, the U.S. Department of Commerce concluded an investigation into the issue by imposing duties of up to 262 percent on Chinese cabinet products. While effective temporarily, these duties have led to the development of an alarming new problem: transshipment. To avoid the tariffs on cabinet imports directly from China, companies there now ship cabinetry through third party countries. Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Mexico all contribute to the problem, dumping cabinets into the American market at prices that the domestic companies like Showplace can never match. American cabinet companies who actually manufacture here and not just assemble imported parts, pay fair American wages & benefits, abide by American government regulations, pay state, local and federal taxes, and support American communities.

Companies in China, Vietnam, and Mexico don’t do that. Targeted tariffs might not be the solution for all industries, but I can say with certainty for manufacturing industries, companies who actually “make things in the USA,” tariffs are the only way to level a playing field that has been unfairly slanted towards imports for decades. The ultimate goal of the Chinese has been to lure large American companies into offshoring a percentage, or all, of their production, a move that has been on the rise for years, and negatively impacts truly American cabinet manufacturers.

Earlier this year, the president initiated a Section 232 investigation into lumber and derivative imports, including cabinetry, to address the exploitative tactics used by foreign adversaries to debilitate our industry. President Trump and his trade team are currently evaluating the harm caused by these trade practices and may impose strong targeted tariffs to stop the cheating. On
behalf of the 250,000 cabinet workers across the U.S., I can confidently say we need tariff protection on cabinet and cabinet component imports.

Many are hesitant to embrace industry-specific tariffs like this out of concern that a prolonged reshoring process will hinder the efficacy of such a tactic. Fortunately, this apprehension does not apply to the domestic cabinet industry. The vast majority of us are still here, still labeling our products ‘Made in America’ with pride, because they are! Showplace doesn’t need to reshore, the hardworking Americans on our team make South Dakota proud every day. With a strong tariff in place, we can continue to produce high-quality cabinets that furnish American homes.

There is also a national security element at play here. This isn’t just about creating a fairer trade environment; it’s about protecting our ability to provide for ourselves in times of crisis. If we continue to sell out our manufacturing base to the point where we can’t even produce basic housing materials in this country, we leave ourselves incredibly vulnerable to foreign threats. By responding to unfair trade practices with decisive action, President Trump can both save our industry and protect our nation.

Given President Trump’s record of protecting and promoting domestic manufacturing, I have the highest hope that he will do the right thing here and impose effective Section 232 tariffs on foreign cabinet and cabinet component imports, with no exceptions. Thankfully, here in South Dakota, we have strong advocates like Senators Thune and Rounds representing us. As the Senate majority leader continues to champion South Dakota manufacturing businesses like Showplace, our more than 700 workers and their families are hopeful that meaningful action will be taken to protect American cabinet jobs, manufacturers, and our long-term economic security.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Bill Allen is the President and CEO of Showplace Cabinetry in Harrisburg, South Dakota.