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Activity typically slows down in the summer as temperatures rise and people go on vacation. This year may be different, as the hardwood plywood industry filed important trade petitions, the Trump administration continues to work on a national security review of wood products, and the House, Senate, and White House work to head off a big tax increase and reduce spending. The hardwood plywood petitions took a large step forward recently when the U.S.

The future of the decorative hardwoods industry depends on clear leadership in the face of predatory trade practices from Asia, which will decimate our domestic industry and workers if not countered. On May 22, the Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood provided key leadership by filing a petition for antidumping and countervailing duties to counter unfair trade practices by Indonesia, Vietnam, and China. The industry supports fair trade—but that's not what we see from China and its allies.

Last week, I had the great pleasure of meeting with members and hearing many expert speakers at DHA's 104th Annual Meeting. It's amazing to think that DHA has held that many annual meetings. I'm pleased and proud to help lead this great industry. I also had the pleasure of recognizing many long-term members who have led the industry for decades.

Trade policy continues to be uncertain and changing rapidly in both the U.S. and Canada. Canada recently issued a surtax remission for decorative hardwoods imported from the U.S. Trade representatives from Taiwan and Japan, among others, have visited the U.S. to discuss tariff deals, while others, including Vietnam, have had phone conversations. DHA is closely monitoring the outcomes of the discussions and their impacts on our industry.

Keeping up with changes to U.S. trade policy has been challenging over the last couple of months. The bottom line is that most reciprocal tariffs have been paused, leaving rates generally at 10%, except for China. In addition, USMCA-compliant products are still exempt. There is a good summary from the Wiley law firm below. Attorney Tim Brightbill of Wiley will join us at the DHA annual meeting to discuss trade policy and its impacts on our industry. I look forward to seeing you there.