DHA eNews – U.S. Imports Of Hardwood Plywood Drop By 7%
After years of rising hardwood plywood imports, this year started on a good note: January 2026 imports declined vs. last January. Imports from Vietnam declined the most. We are hopeful that the recent preliminary antidumping and countervailing duties and the Trump administration trade policies are limiting these imports.
Tim Brightbill, who represents the Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood, will talk about these trade cases and other trade policies at our upcoming annual meeting in Asheville, NC, from May 12 to May 14. Don't miss it!
If you have questions or comments, contact me. I look forward to hearing from you.
Keith A. Christman, President
PHOTO © James Tourtellotte, USCBP
U.S. imports of hardwood plywood began the year with a decline of nearly 7% in volume in January 2026 vs. January 2025. Imports from Vietnam dropped by almost 50%. Imports from Indonesia fell by close to 8%. However, imports from Malaysia shot up by nearly 200%, and imports from Cambodia jumped by more than 440%.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has announced new Section 301 investigations into several U.S. trading partners to determine whether they're producing significantly more than what's needed in their local markets and dumping the excess into the U.S. at artificially low prices. Countries under investigation include China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Comments are due by April 15.
On March 2, the U.S. Trade Representative delivered President Trump's 2026 Trade Policy Agenda and the 2025 Annual Report to Congress. Expect the Trump administration to work to reduce the U.S. trade deficit, achieve more balanced trade with trading partners, and reshore critical industries through trade agreements, enforcement measures, and industrial policy.
17 U.S. forest products industry associations, representing key sectors, have signed a joint statement urging the European Commission to further amend the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Specifically, the associations ask for practical changes to the plot-level geolocation data requirements.
On March 13, President Trump issued two executive orders on housing designed to remove regulatory barriers and provide better access to mortgage credit with the goal of easing the housing affordability crisis.
U.S. trade discussions with Canada to prepare for the mandatory review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) are lagging behind those with Mexico, said the U.S. Trade Representative. Two key issues being negotiated are the rules of origin requirements - what qualifies as a North American product under USMCA - and transshipment.
In 2025, U.S. imports of wooden furniture fell by 9% to $19.37 billion, a decline of more than $1.8 billion vs. 2024. This is the lowest level since the 2020 pandemic. U.S. imports from its leading supplier, Vietnam, were flat in 2025 but still reached more than $8.9 billion.
U.S. cabinet manufacturers reported that the volume of cabinets sold continued to decline in January, falling by more than 16% vs. January 2025. The dollar value of cabinets sold fell by more than 11%.
The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association announced the winners of the 2026 KCMA Design Awards Competition, recognizing outstanding achievement in kitchen design across North America. The winning designs reflected new design trends, said KCMA, that are "beyond the white kitchen: while still prevalent, more distinctive material palettes and architectural detailing are defining standout projects."
On March 20, the Save Our Sequoias Act was passed unanimously in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill provides a comprehensive response to address imminent threats to giant sequoia groves, focusing on improving interagency coordination, using robust scientific analysis to triage high-priority groves, expediting forest restoration projects, and providing new tools and resources to land managers. A bipartisan companion bill has already been introduced in the Senate.
In recent years, Oregon's timber harvest has hovered near historic lows, at least seven mills have closed since 2024 alone, and logging on federal lands has been restricted. New federal initiatives to increase logging on public lands could help revitalize Oregon's timber industry.
The United Nations lists five ways that forests drive inclusive, resilient economies. What are three of these?