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DHA continues to forcefully advocate for our industry in the realm of international trade. We recently sent comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on issues related to non-reciprocal trade. In recent years, many in our industry have successfully pursued unfair trade cases against China and Vietnam, but U.S. trade law has not kept up. Thus, in our recent comments, DHA advocated for updating trade laws.

Tariffs and trade policy continue to be in the spotlight. Wood products have jumped to the forefront after the administration issued an executive order declaring that the wood products industry is critical to national security. The executive order goes beyond lumber to include imports of cabinets and furniture. DHA will look for opportunities that could benefit our members. 

Over the last two weeks, the Trump administration has continued rapidly executing its game plan for the first 100 days. In our last newsletter, we highlighted the tariff actions on Canada, Mexico, and China that resulted in a pause for Canada and Mexico. In this newsletter, we cover the reciprocal tariff announcement that would match tariffs and other barriers to those of U.S. trading partners. Details are still being developed. DHA will follow this and the Canada actions closely.

We certainly live in interesting and challenging times. President Trump recently announced tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China. He also mentioned the possibility of sanctions on Russia related to the invasion of Ukraine.

DHA strongly supports efforts to strengthen and grow U.S. manufacturing and prevent further damage from the unfair trade practices of China and its allies in Asia. In addition, DHA supports restrictions on wood products manufactured from Russian wood and imported from third countries.

Washington policymaking is hitting overdrive with a flurry of executive orders. The Wall Street Journal reported that President Trump will not impose any new tariffs yet and instead issued a memo directing federal agencies to evaluate trade policies and economic relationships. Our industry has had to fight illegal trade from China and Vietnam in recent years. We look forward to working with the new administration on illegal trade practices.