US For goods shipped into the United States. Delivering somewhere else? Import duty by country.
Chinese kitchen cabinets in US showrooms
Are Chinese kitchen cabinets from a US showroom a good buy?
Verdict: It depends on the importer
They can be, if a US importer paid the duty and the box checks out. A price far below big-box lines, from a seller who cannot name the importer, is the red flag.
Importing wooden cabinets yourself is a different story: about 320% duty at the China-wide rate.
Rates checked
How the 40% check is built The price source, the duty math and every duty layer
Big-box semi-custom cabinets run $200 to $650 per linear foot installed, and a 10x10 kitchen has about 20 linear feet: $4,000 to $13,000. 40% under that is $2,400 to $7,800.
The China-wide duty on wooden cabinets is 319.81% of the factory price (rates as of November 9, 2026), so $1 of factory price costs about $4.20 with duty paid. To sell the whole kitchen for $7,800, a line paying that duty needs a factory price under about $1,900.
Price source: HomeLight, kitchen cabinet installation cost guide (published 2026-01-06, figures attributed to Angi), checked October 18, 2026. We found no current published price range for RTA showroom lines alone, so we do not show one.
US duty on wooden kitchen cabinets from China
Checked
319.81%
of the factory price. On every $1,000 at the factory that is $3,198 in duty before freight and fees.
Antidumping and countervailing rates shown are the China-wide rates for exporters without their own rate. They are cash deposits; the final amount is set in a later review and can be higher.
Next scheduled change: Section 232 to 50% on January 1, 2027. Proclamation 10976 first scheduled this increase for 2026-01-01; Proclamation 11000 delayed it to 2027-01-01. The rate that applies is the one on the day the goods enter the US.
By the China Home Source editorial team · Updated · How we check numbers
The quote in your hand
40% under a big-box semi-custom quote: is that believable?
Yes, it can be honest, but not as a China-made line paying the China-wide duty. At 319.81% duty, a kitchen sold for $7,800 leaves less than $1,900 for the factory, before freight, warehouse rent, staff and profit.
Fair reasons a showroom line is cheaper
- It is made in Vietnam, Malaysia or another country, from parts made there, and the importer holds the certification Commerce requires for those two countries.
- It comes from a Chinese exporter with its own antidumping rate, which brings the duty to about 69.5%.
- Simpler boxes and finishes: particleboard or thinner plywood, a fixed list of sizes, two or three door styles.
- Lower overhead: a warehouse showroom, no in-house designer, you pick up or assemble.
The reason to walk away
Duty that was never paid. CBP goes after the importer of record, not you. But when an importer is caught, the line can disappear, and with it the warranty, the matching replacement doors and the extra panels you need next year.
If the seller cannot say where the boxes and doors are made, or who imports them, treat the low price as that risk.
Three legal paths
Ways to get Chinese-made cabinets without the 320% bill
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Path 1
Buy from a US showroom or RTA brand
US price, duty already paid
The importer has already paid the duty. You pay a US price and carry no customs risk. This is the path for most kitchens.
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Path 2
Import from an exporter with its own rate
$695 duty on every $1,000
About 69.5% duty instead of 320%. Whether it pays depends on the factory price and your US quote, and only if the exporter on the invoice is the one with the rate.
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Path 3
Stainless steel or aluminum cabinets
$375 duty on every $1,000
Outside the wooden cabinet duties if a broker agrees they are metal furniture. Then about 37.5% from China. Wooden doors can pull them back in.
The duty math for paths 2 and 3 On every $1,000 at the factory
- Path 2: 25% Section 301 (2018) + 25% Section 232 + 10.02% Antidumping + 9.51% Countervailing
- Path 3: 25% Section 301 (2018) + 12.5% Section 301 (2026)
Rates as of November 9, 2026. Path 2 uses rates that belong to specific named exporters. The line-by-line math is on importing kitchen cabinets from China.
In the showroom
Six things to check on a display cabinet
Many cabinet stores in US cities, and many online RTA brands, sell lines made in China or elsewhere in Asia. A US company buys them by the container, clears customs as the importer of record, pays the duty and stocks a fixed list of sizes and door styles, often white or gray shaker. You buy them flat or assembled, at a US price, usually with fast pickup.
The country tells you little. Two lines from the same city can differ more than a Chinese line and a US stock line. Check the box, the hardware, the label and the company behind the order. Bring a phone flashlight, open the sink base and a drawer. It takes ten minutes.
Box sides and back
Better: Plywood, with the grade and thickness written on the spec sheet.
Weaker: Particleboard or MDF with paper or melamine face, thin hardboard back.
Check: Open a display base cabinet and look at the cut edge inside a shelf hole or at the back corner.
Construction
Better: Glued and doweled or confirmat-screwed joints, solid wood face frame if framed.
Weaker: Stapled joints, plastic corner blocks only.
Check: Pull a base cabinet out of its run if the showroom allows and look underneath.
Drawer boxes
Better: Solid wood dovetail or metal drawer systems from a named maker.
Weaker: Stapled particleboard boxes on side-mount slides.
Check: Pull a full drawer out, push down on the front, look at the corners.
Hinges and slides
Better: Named brand and series, soft-close built in.
Weaker: Unmarked hardware, soft-close as a clip-on add-on.
Check: Look for the brand stamp on the hinge cup and slide.
Doors and finish
Better: Solid wood frame with MDF center panel for painted shaker, cured factory finish.
Weaker: One-piece MDF painted on site, or a vinyl wrap that peels near the oven.
Check: Ask what the door is made of, and how the finish was applied.
Label
Better: "TSCA Title VI compliant", with the fabricator name and the month and year made, on the cabinet or its carton.
Weaker: No label, or a CARB-only sticker.
Check: Look inside the sink base or on the back of a wall cabinet.
We do not list or rate local showrooms. Compare at least two, and take this page with you. The TSCA Title VI rule sets formaldehyde limits for plywood, particleboard and MDF in finished products, including cabinets: EPA, formaldehyde emission standards for composite wood products. Label contents: 40 CFR 770.45. Both checked November 9, 2026.
Was the duty paid?
Nine questions to ask the showroom
A US importer pays the duty when the cabinets clear customs. A seller who can answer these has nothing to hide. One who cannot is a reason to keep shopping.
- Who is the importer of record for this line, and how long have they imported it?
- Where are the boxes made, and where are the doors made? Same country?
- If the label says Vietnam or Malaysia, which factory made the parts, and do you hold the certification Commerce requires for that country?
- Can I see the TSCA Title VI label on a box in the warehouse?
- What are the box sides made of, and how thick are they?
- Which brand and series are the hinges and drawer slides?
- Which sizes do you stock, and in which widths do you offer fillers? Can I get a printed size list before I design?
- Who handles damage on delivery, and how long do replacement doors take?
- What does the warranty cover, for how long, and who honors it if the importer stops carrying the line?
Why question 3 matters: Chinese parts finished in another country stay under the China order. Every duty layer on cabinets, with sources.
Chinese cabinets vs IKEA
Compare the box, not the country
IKEA lists its SEKTION base cabinet frame, 30 x 24 x 30 in, at $84 without a door. The box is 3/4 in particleboard with a melamine face, it sits on legs, and it carries a 25-year limited warranty. Its sizes are IKEA's own, so fillers and panels follow IKEA's system.
A showroom RTA line is often a framed US-size box, sometimes plywood, sold assembled or flat. To compare fairly, price the same layout three ways: IKEA's planner, one showroom line, and a US stock line from a home center, all with doors, hardware and installation.
IKEA price and specs: IKEA US product page, SEKTION base cabinet frame 30x24x30", checked October 18, 2026.
US cabinets by tier, installed
| What you buy in the US | Price |
|---|---|
| Stock kitchen cabinets, installed Pre-made standard sizes and finishes, price per linear foot including installation. HomeLight, kitchen cabinet installation cost guide (published 2026-01-06, figures attributed to Angi) | $100 to $300 per linear foot, installed |
| Semi-custom kitchen cabinets, installed Standard boxes with more size, finish and door options, price per linear foot including installation. HomeLight, kitchen cabinet installation cost guide (published 2026-01-06, figures attributed to Angi) | $200 to $650 per linear foot, installed |
| Custom kitchen cabinets, installed Built to the room by a cabinet shop, price per linear foot including installation. HomeLight, kitchen cabinet installation cost guide (published 2026-01-06, figures attributed to Angi) | $500 to $1,200 per linear foot, installed |
National ranges per linear foot from a published cost guide. A 10x10 kitchen has about 20 linear feet of cabinets.
More on cabinets
More cabinet guides (cost, sizes, shipping, installation) are in progress.
Questions buyers ask
Chinese cabinets, answered
Are Chinese kitchen cabinets good?
They range from poor to very good. A plywood box, named hinge and slide brands, a TSCA Title VI label and an importer that stands behind the order are the signs of a good line. Particleboard boxes with unnamed hardware and no label are the signs of a poor one. Country of origin tells you little on its own.
Chinese cabinets vs IKEA: which is better?
IKEA SEKTION boxes are 3/4 in particleboard with melamine, sold flat with a 25-year limited warranty, and a 30 x 24 x 30 in base frame lists at $84 without a door. Many Chinese-made showroom lines come pre-assembled, some with plywood boxes, in US face-frame sizes. Compare box material, door construction, warranty terms and who installs, line by line, not by country.
Do US showrooms that sell Chinese cabinets pay the antidumping duty?
They have to. The importer of record pays the duty when the cabinets clear customs, and an importer that evades it can be pursued by CBP. You cannot see their customs entries, but you can ask who imports the line, where the boxes and doors are made, and what certification they hold for cabinets from Vietnam or Malaysia.
Is a CARB label enough?
CARB Phase 2 is California's formaldehyde rule and is still in force there. The federal TSCA Title VI rule was modeled on it and applies across the US. Look for a label on the cabinet or its carton with the fabricator's name, the month and year it was made, and the words "TSCA Title VI compliant". Many labels show both marks.
Why do some showroom cabinets say "Made in Vietnam" or "Made in Malaysia"?
Production moved after the US put antidumping duty on Chinese cabinets. Cabinets made from Chinese parts and finished in another country stay under the China order, and Commerce requires certifications for cabinets from Vietnam and Malaysia. A careful importer can tell you which factory made the boxes and doors.