The Department of Commerce (DoC) released its preliminary determination in the antidumping investigations of mattresses from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Serbia, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. Petitioners in the case include Brooklyn Bedding, Corsicana Mattress Company, Elite Comfort Solutions, FXI, Innocor, Kolcraft Enterprises and Leggett & Platt.
The DoC announced preliminary dumping margins of 252.74 percent for Cambodia, 2.61 percent for Indonesia, 42.92 percent for Malaysia, 13.65 percent for Serbia, as high as 763.28 percent for Thailand, 20.03 percent for Turkey, and as high as 989.9 percent for Vietnam. On August 31, 2020 the DoC set the preliminary countervailing rate against imports of mattresses from China at 97.78 percent.
Steve Douglas, president of the American Mattress Alliance (AMA) board and vice president of operations at Maven, stated the disappointment felt by members of the AMA. “We were surprised by the very high percentages in some countries, but through every stage in this process, we will continue to assert this petition is overly broad and built on false claims. This is just another attempt by these large corporations to take more power and more market share, when they can’t even reliably supply their retail partners, and to make up for their failure to invest in innovative products at the expense of the American consumer.”
AMA Chairperson of the Board Scott Burger, who is also CEO of Classic Brands, said, “While the actions sought by the petitioners stand to bring about significant harm to the mattress industry and the American consumer, our members remain unwavering in their commitment to support their brick-and-mortar partners with quality product during this trying time.”
He also noted, “Against the backdrop of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, now is the time to leverage established global relationships and supply chains to acquire critical supplies at a rate otherwise unattainable using domestic sources alone. Unfortunately, these proposed tariffs would only further exacerbate the price volatility, unpredictable capacity and component shortages currently facing our industry.”
Keith Reynolds, vice chair of the board and president of Zinus U.S. said, “We need to all work together to not only help our industry survive 2020, but also to thrive in 2020. We can’t do that if the petitioners refuse to let us compete,” Reynolds said of the duties. “We had hoped the petitioners would withdraw the petition since domestic manufacturers are struggling with shortages, but it seems they are putting their own desires for market control ahead of retailers’ needs.”
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About American Mattress Alliance: The American Mattress Alliance exists to provide high-quality products to American consumers, with an emphasis on innovation and accessibility. Members include City Furniture, American Furniture Warehouse, El Dorado Furniture, Malouf, Classic Brands, BedTech, Zinus USA, Americanstar, Maven, RC Willey, Mlily USA, and others. The American Mattress Alliance was created in response to an antidumping petition filed on March 31, 2020.
