US Trade Commission Backs Hardwood Producers Against Asian Imports

The commission’s determination follows a series of petitions filed in May 2025 by the Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood, a group representing five major U.S. producers including Columbia Forest Products and States Industries. Counsel Timothy C. Brightbill characterized the ruling as a decade-long effort to stabilize a domestic market battered by unfair foreign pricing.

Commerce Department data released in July established steep duty margins, with some Chinese producers facing combined rates as high as 276%. Indonesian and Vietnamese firms also received significant penalties, ranging from 138% to 255% for certain Vietnamese exporters. While the investigation concluded that softwood structural plywood imports were negligible, the core findings ensure that decorative plywood entering the U.S. from the three nations will now be subject to mandatory duty deposits for at least five years. These measures are designed to adjust annually to reflect shifts in global trade practices.