Furniture Today,
HIGH POINT — The U.S. Department of Commerce may

exclude fully upholstered beds from import duties collected on bedroom furniture made in China.

The change would affect beds that are upholstered with genuine or synthetic leather or natural or synthetic fabric on the headboard, footboard and side rails.

To be considered for exclusion, the feet of the bed would have to be the only exposed part of these products that could be made from wood. The wood feet could not be more than nine inches in height from the floor.

The DOC is considering the matter at the request of the petitioners that are part of the American Furniture Manufacturers Committee for Legal Trade. That group filed the original petition that sought duties on wood bedroom furniture made in China.

It is expediting the process because the petitioners are no longer interested in placing duties on this particular item.

It will accept written comments on the matter for 14 days after the initial publication of the notice, which appeared in the Federal Register on Dec. 20. Rebuttals to the comments on this matter must be received no later than 21 days following the Dec. 20 publication.

The DOC will likely issue a final ruling no later than the end of July.