China duty opponents spend $1M, seek help
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, April 10, 2005
High Point — The Furniture Retailers of America, a group of retailers who banded together to make their views known on the antidumping issue, is appealing for financial support.
Keith Koenig, president of City Furniture of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and a member of the group's steering committee, said the FRA incurred costs of more than $1 million in promoting the interests of furniture retailers and importers.
He said the FRA members fell "a little short" of raising that amount of money, and are seeking contributions from retailers and importers.
"It would be nice to have the costs shared on a more equal basis," Koenig said. "There are some retailers and some importers whose business is to import Chinese bedroom furniture, who have not contributed a dime to combat the issue."
Without the FRA's efforts, Koenig said, the industry might have faced "much higher tariffs."
Mike Veitenheimer of The Bombay Company, an FRA member, said the contribution guidelines for major players have been $5,000 per $100 million in sales with a maximum of $25,000. Contributions from smaller companies, ranging from $500 to $2,000, would be appreciated, he said.
"Each retailer/importer should calculate what a container would have cost at a 20% to 40% duty and compare that to the 6% rate that we got and decide how much that was worth to them," said Veitenheimer, who is vice president and general counsel of Fort Worth, Texas-based Bombay. "The problem is that many companies (large and small) just sat back and let the steering committee and a relatively small number of other companies pay for the case rather than paying their fair share."
"If other retailers and importers can help us out," Koenig said, "that would be greatly appreciated."
He said the antidumping issue is ongoing. "This is far from over," Koenig said. "The FRA needs to stay strong and organized."
FRA said its members represent more than 3,500 retail outlets. Rooms To Go, JCPenney, Havertys, Crate & Barrel, Bombay and City are among its best-known members.
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China duty opponents spend $1M, seek help
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