NEWS

Decorative Hardwoods Association® (formerly HPVA) eNews Volume XI, Issue XI: Trade War? Canada Proposes Retaliatory Tariff On U.S. Hardwood Plywood | RVIA, Indonesia Seek U.S. Import Duty Rescission | Decorative Hardwoods Files USTR Comments On Unfair Chinese Trade Restrictions On U.S.

As of June 1, all regulated composite wood products must be TSCA Title VI compliant and meet all EPA regulatory requirements. Members of the Decorative Hardwoods Association®, representing over 95% of North American hardwood plywood producers, are TSCA Title VI compliant and offer certified compliant products. Decorative Hardwoods Association® will testify at an upcoming EPA meeting on technical issues specific to certification and testing.

The U.S. Trade Representative has requested that the U.S. International Trade Commission provide an assessment on tropical hardwood plywood from Indonesia for HTS codes 4412.31.41, 4412.31.4150, and 4412.31.4160. U.S. imports of tropical hardwoods from Indonesia, the Southwest Pacific, Brazil, and Africa fall into this category of thin plywood.

On May 31, the U.S. announced tariffs of 25% on imports of select steel products and 10% on imports of select aluminum products from Canada. Canada responded by imposing surtaxes or similar trade-restrictive countermeasures on approximately C$16.6 billion in imports of steel, aluminum, plywood, and other U.S. products. Two HS codes of plywood, 4412.39 and 4412.99.90, are on the list for a 10% surtax. Annually, the U.S.

Decorative Hardwoods filed comments that certain acts, policies, and practices of China are unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict U.S. commerce, and requested that veneer exports from China to the U.S. become subject to increased duties of 25 percent until China stops its unfair trade practices against U.S. veneer imports.