United States Opens Trade Investigations on Hardwood and Decorative Plywood Imports
Estimated reading time: 3–5 minutes
The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) announced new decisions about hardwood and decorative plywood from China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The Commission says there is a reasonable indication that United States industries have been harmed by these imports.
The investigation is about certain types of plywood that enter through many different product numbers, called subheadings, in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. These subheadings include 4412.10.05, 4412.31.06, 4412.31.26, 4412.31.42, 4412.31.45, 4412.31.48, 4412.31.52, 4412.31.61, 4412.31.92, 4412.33.06, 4412.33.26, 4412.33.32, 4412.33.57, 4412.34.26, 4412.34.32, 4412.34.57, 4412.39.40, 4412.39.50, 4412.41.00, 4412.42.00, 4412.51.10, 4412.51.31, 4412.51.41, 4412.51.50, 4412.52.10, 4412.52.31, 4412.52.41, 4412.91.06, 4412.91.10, 4412.91.31, 4412.91.41, 4412.92.07, 4412.92.11, 4412.92.31, and 4412.92.42.
The USITC is looking into whether these products have been sold in the United States for less than fair value. This is known as “less than fair value” sales, or “LTFV.” The investigation also looks at whether the governments of China, Indonesia, and Vietnam have given unfair help to companies in their countries. This help is called a subsidy.
The petitions to start the investigation were filed on May 22, 2025. They were submitted by the Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood. This coalition has several members. These are Columbia Forest Products of Greensboro, North Carolina; Commonwealth Plywood Co., Ltd., Whitehall, New York; Manthei Wood Products, Petoskey, Michigan; States Industries LLC, Eugene, Oregon; and Timber Products Company, Springfield, Oregon.
After the Coalition filed its petitions, the USITC started its investigation the same day. Official numbers for the cases are 701-TA-764-766 for subsidies and 731-TA-1747-1749 for less than fair value sales.
A notice about the investigation and a public conference was posted on May 29, 2025. The public conference took place on June 12, 2025. Everyone who asked to take part in the conference was allowed to join.
The USITC completed and filed its determinations in these investigations on July 7, 2025. The Commission’s views can be found in USITC Publication 5648, dated July 2025.
Now, the USITC will begin the final phase of the investigations. The Commission will publish a notice when ready. More information and questionnaires for the next phase will be made available on the Commission’s Electronic Document Information System at https://edis.usitc.gov.
Parties who were involved in the preliminary phase do not need to reapply to take part in the final phase. Other interested parties or consumer groups may apply to join after the notice is published.
The notice was issued by Lisa Barton, Secretary to the Commission, on July 7, 2025.
Legal Disclaimer
This article includes content collected from the Federal Register (federalregister.gov). The content is not an official government publication. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For case-specific consultation, please contact us. Read our full Legal Disclaimer, which also includes information on translation accuracy.
