U.S. Opens Antidumping Investigations on Hardwood and Decorative Plywood from China, Indonesia, and Vietnam
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On June 16, 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) announced the start of less-than-fair-value (LTFV) investigations into imports of hardwood and decorative plywood from China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. This means Commerce is looking into whether these products are being sold in the United States at unfairly low prices.
Background
On May 22, 2025, a group of U.S. plywood producers (the Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood) filed petitions asking for these investigations. The same day, they also filed petitions for countervailing duties on imports from all three countries.
Commerce reviewed the petitions and asked for more information. The group provided all requested details between May 28 and June 10, 2025.
Scope of Investigations
The investigations cover hardwood and decorative plywood from these three countries. This includes flat, multilayered plywood panels with face or back veneers made from hardwood, softwood, or bamboo. The product can have other surface coatings, coverings, or minor processing. The full description and all relevant product codes (HTSUS) are included in the official notice.
Some items are excluded, like structural plywood stamped for specific standards, cork-faced plywood, multilayered wood flooring, certain bamboo products, fully assembled furniture, and others.
Investigation Periods
For Indonesia, the study covers sales from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025. For China and Vietnam, which are considered non-market economies, the period is October 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025.
Industry Support
To start an investigation, Commerce checks if there is enough support from U.S. producers. The Coalition represents more than 50% of U.S. hardwood and decorative plywood makers who support the petition. They also meet the requirement of representing at least 25% of total U.S. production.
Allegations of Injury
The petitions claim that U.S. industry is being hurt by these imports due to increasing import volumes, prices under U.S. market rates, shifting market share, and financial harm. The petitions say each country’s imports are high enough to meet investigation rules.
Alleged Dumping Margins
The estimated dumping margins (how much lower the prices are compared to fair value) are listed as follows:
- China: 540.07%
- Indonesia: 84.94%
- Vietnam: 138.04% to 152.41%
Investigation Procedures
Commerce will choose companies from each country to study closely. For Indonesia, companies will receive questionnaires, and the largest firms will be examined based on sales data. For China and Vietnam, Commerce will use special methods because these are non-market economies. Companies must apply for “separate rates” if they want to be treated apart from government-run businesses.
Parties have deadlines to comment on scope (July 1, 2025) and to respond to product characteristic questions or other requests.
Timeline and Next Steps
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) will decide within 45 days if there is a reasonable sign that U.S. industry is being injured. If the ITC finds no injury by imports from any of the countries, the investigation regarding that country will stop.
Commerce will make a preliminary decision within 140 days unless postponed.
Legal and Filing Details
All parties must use the Enforcement and Compliance Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS) for submissions unless exceptions apply. There are clear instructions and timelines for submitting information, requesting deadline extensions, and applying for participation rights.
Commerce has set rules for how information should be filed and certified. These requirements ensure submissions are complete and accurate.
Product Codes
Products are most commonly imported under many specific HTSUS codes, which are detailed in the official notice. The written product description controls the investigation, not the HTSUS codes.
Contact Information
Questions can be directed to:
- Theodora Mattei (China) at (202) 482-4834.
- Joy Zhang (Indonesia) at (202) 482-1168.
- Kabir Archuletta (Vietnam) at (202) 482-2593.
The notice was signed by Steven Presing, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations, on June 11, 2025. The full text with all technical details and codes is available through the Federal Register.
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.
