CKCA Urges Senate Action on Cabinet Imports and U.S. Tariff Risk

The Canadian Kitchen Cabinet Association is warning federal policymakers that Canada’s cabinet sector is facing mounting pressure from rising imports, U.S. tariffs and unresolved trade concerns as the CUSMA review approaches.

Appearing before the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade on June 10, 2026, CKCA Executive Director Sandra Wood represented manufacturers of kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities and related products, many of them small and medium-sized companies operating in communities across Canada – a sector of more than 25,000 jobs, 3,700 businesses and about $4.7 billion in annual economic activity.

Wood told senators the cabinet industry is a key example of value-added manufacturing, turning Canadian forestry products into finished goods for housing and renovation markets. Her central message was that trade policy should not stop at raw materials when downstream manufacturers are also under pressure and that immediate action is needed to address the onslaught of wood product imports to Canada.

Cabinet imports into Canada have grown by about 20 percent annually since 2019. In the past 18 months, import values increased from $176 million to $231 million, while volumes rose from 3.7 million to more than five million units. Wood said much of that increase is coming from Asia, particularly China and Southeast Asia, as suppliers look for new markets in response to changing North American trade conditions.

“The situation is getting progressively worse every day,” Wood told senators. “So for us, speed is of the essence.”

The testimony comes as the United States maintains a 25 percent Section 232 tariff on kitchen cabinets and vanities, with the rate scheduled to rise to 50 percent on January 1, 2027, unless alternative arrangements are reached. Wood said many Canadian manufacturers have spent years building U.S. distribution networks, making the tariff risk especially disruptive.

Wood also addressed claims from the U.S. Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association that some flat-packed cabinetry is entering Canada from Asia, being assembled here and then moving into the U.S. market. Wood said CKCA has not seen hard evidence proving that transshipment is taking place, but she acknowledged the issue has shaped discussions with U.S. counterparts.

“Our perspective obviously is it’s not manufactured in Canada, it’s just simply assembled here,” Wood said.

CKCA is calling for federal action in three areas: recognition of cabinet manufacturing as a strategic contributor to economic security and supply chain resilience, stronger procurement and housing policies that support Canadian-made value-added products, and more responsive trade remedy and safeguard tools when industries face sudden market disruption.

Wood said current Buy Canada discussions often focus on raw materials but do not reach far enough into finished products. Since cabinet manufacturers typically sell through builders, developers and distributors rather than directly to government, she said procurement policies need “teeth” and practical incentives for Canadian-made products to be used in housing projects.

Asked whether cabinet makers could offset U.S. trade pressures by pursuing other export markets, Wood was blunt.

“We’re struggling to compete in our own backyard,” she said.

Wood told senators that government officials have been open to hearing from CKCA, but the industry is looking for faster relief as import pressure and tariff uncertainty continue. Her closing message was that Canada’s trade response must account for the manufacturers that turn domestic wood resources into finished products, support housing supply chains and sustain skilled jobs in communities across the country.

See the opening remarks by Sandra Wood here.

Full Video: Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade