TORONTO (29 June 2012) - The Canadian Appliance Manufacturers Association has closed its doors having been muscled out of its long-time role in the industry by the U.S.-based Association of Household Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM).

The majority of CAMA's member companies resigned their membership in the wake of an announcement by AHAM in early May that it will establish a Canadian office sometime this year.

"This was done without EFC's support," Electro-Federation Canada president and chief executive officer Jim Taggart told Home Goods Online. "This was clearly a case of an American association acting at the expense of a Canadian association."

He stressed EFC was not consulted beforehand and wasn't a friendly move on AHAM's part.

"This closure is a direct result of the Washington D.C.-based Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers opening a Canadian branch office targeted for July 1st, 2012," Taggart said. "Due to AHAM's expansion into Canada, this has resulted in many CAMA members resigning from EFC despite a long-standing relationship."

CAMA became an EFC council in 1995, although it had served the industry for at least 30 years prior to that.

Over the past decade or so, most Canadian major appliance producers were swallowed up by the multi-nationals and actual manufacturing has been consolidated and rationalized across North America to the extent that very little actual manufacturing takes place in this country. It should be noted that the parent companies of Whirlpool Canada, Electrolux Canada and Mabe Canada - the three largest appliance resources in the Canadian market - are also members of AHAM.

Taggart said the remaining CAMA members will be served through another EFC council, the Consumer Electronics Marketers of Canada (CEMC).

Shutting down CAMA also resulted in the lay-off of its staff, including vice president Larry Moore; association manager Sharon Borda; and, vice president of technical services Richard Martel. Borda has joined the Canadian Electrical Stewardship Association's secretariat.

"I am proud of all CAMA council staff and their many outstanding accomplishments. Our CAMA staff provided many services to our members and they will be sorely missed for their contributions in the Canadian market," Taggart said.

In a statement posted on the EFC web site, Moore said: "I am proud of our accomplishments in codes and standards; our statistical research program delivering a comprehensive annual trends book, seminars and our monthly Issues & Updates publication.

"We have made great strides in key areas such as extended producer responsibility and consumer product safety," he added.

Taggart said CAMA's Major Appliance Industry Trends & Facts report will be discontinued, although the updates to the end of June will be published shortly.

He also said EFC will continue to be a strong association in the Canadian marketplace focusing on the electrical, electronics and telecommunications sectors.

EFC will also explore the possibility of service beyond year-end 2012 under a Consumer Council banner.