President Trump continues to impose targeted tariffs to save domestic manufacturing, recently declaring, “Trillions of Dollars are being taken in on Tariffs, which has been incredible for our country.”
There is still one industry that needs tariff protection however: American cabinet manufacturing.
Here in Alabama, over 5,000 cabinet manufacturing jobs are at risk due to unfair foreign trade practices, namely dumping and transshipment. Trump can save America's more than $12 billion domestic cabinet industry if he takes bold and decisive action by imposing targeted tariffs to stop the cheating. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt is working overtime to put Alabama First and ensure that Trump imposes a 100% tariff rate that will save Alabama’s domestic cabinet industry.
For almost a decade, Britt has been a fierce advocate for Alabama cabinet businesses like Bishop and Wellborn Cabinet, most recently in her role as a U.S. senator and previously as chief of staff to former U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby. Recently, Britt has been fighting for Alabama cabinet workers by advocating for legal remedies to address these unfair trade practices.
In May, Britt was the lead on an Alabama congressional delegation letter to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about the flood of foreign imports. “In recent years, our $12 billion domestic cabinet industry has been devastated by unfairly traded imports of kitchen cabinets and cabinet components,” Britt said. As a champion for Trump’s America First trade agenda, Politico reported on Britt’s tremendous legislative efforts to save 5,000 Alabama manufacturing jobs and her request that the Trump Administration “impose a strong tariff rate to help preserve the domestic cabinet industry and the thousands of American manufacturing jobs in the cabinet sector.”
Bishop Cabinets is still family-owned and operated, functioning as the economic backbone of the local community. Having served at Bishop Cabinets for almost 30 years, and as president since 2017, Jeff Gulledge can attest to the importance of maintaining this business model, and by extension the communities that companies like Bishop support. Bishop’s employees are often multigenerational, and the average staff member has been with the company for over 15 years. Similarly, Stephen Wellborn, co-owner of Wellborn Cabinet, employs 1,400 people in a town of 1,984, providing comprehensive benefits such as on-site daycare to his dedicated team.
The role these businesses play in Alabama communities is indispensable. As foreign actors seeking to harm the U.S. flood the domestic industry with unfairly traded cabinetry, this great American industry will soon be wiped out if nothing changes.
During the first Trump administration, the U.S. Department of Commerce imposed duties of up to 262% on Chinese cabinet imports after finding that these products were being deliberately subsidized and dumped on the U.S. market. However, the CCP and its foreign proxies continue to undermine domestic cabinet manufacturers with these underpriced products. The loophole? They simply ship cabinetry through other countries, such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Mexico, slapping on a new label to avoid the China tariffs.
These cabinets are being dumped on the market at as much as 70% below market value, killing Alabama jobs. Over the last few months, thousands of American cabinet jobs have been lost in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Kansas, Texas, Virginia, Indiana, and Alabama – with devastating consequences for Alabama families. Family-owned, American businesses like Bishop Cabinets and Wellborn Cabinet struggle to stay above water in this sea of imports, forced to cut hours, reduce production output, and lay off hardworking Americans.
To save America’s cabinet industry, Trump initiated a Section 232 investigation in March 2025 into imports of timber, lumber, and related products such as cabinetry. The Department of Commerce will evaluate the extent of the threat presented by these illegal trade practices and issue a report that will go to Trump for signature. As this investigation concludes, we are asking for a 100% tariff on cabinetry products entering the U.S., with no exceptions and no exemptions. After all, cabinets are key features of American homes. If we can’t make such products here, what will we do in times of crisis?
These foreign imports are significantly undervalued to drive American manufacturers out of business. By imposing a strong 100% tariff on cabinetry, Trump will save 250,000 American cabinet jobs and the American cabinet industry will be able to compete on a level playing field.
Unlike other industries detrimentally impacted by unfair trade practices, such as furniture and textiles, American cabinet manufacturers are still here. With a 100% tariff, domestic cabinet businesses can easily increase production, with no onshoring necessary. Some plants are operating at 30% utilization with the ability to manufacture an additional 70% right now if a 100% tariff is implemented, creating jobs and broadening the industry’s economic impact. With 5,000 jobs on the line in Alabama alone, we are calling on Trump to do the right thing. We applaud Britt’s steadfast leadership as we work together to Make Cabinetry Great Again.
Jeff Gulledge is the President and Co-Owner of Bishop Cabinets Inc. in Montgomery, Alabama and Stephen Wellborn is the Co-Owner of Wellborn Cabinet in Ashland, Alabama.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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