The Hardwood Federation produces a “D.C. Cheat Sheet” newsletter to keep the industry up-to-date on the latest news from Washington D.C. Check out the December 18th edition below and sign up to receive your copy.
Take Action! Tell your Member of Congress to Seek Relief Funds from Administration: The Trump White House and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have designated $1 billion in financial assistance for non-row crop agriculture industry sectors. As of today, they have not determined which sectors will be included. Over the last year, the Hardwood Federation has held multiple meetings with members of Congress, USDA staff, and White House officials to express the importance of including the hardwood industry in any relief package. But hearing from individual company owners, executives, and employees as well is essential.
Use this link to ask your member of Congress to communicate to key USDA and White House decision makers the urgent need to include the U.S. hardwood industry in the list of commodity groups eligible to receive assistance through this fund. Please add in a sentence or two to personalize the message. Details about the state of your business and how current trade or domestic policies are impacting your business specifically will increase the impact of these letters.
European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR): The European Parliament approved another one-year implementation delay of its controversial EUDR, which was slated to take effect December 30. The action includes a requirement for the European Commission to review the law for impacts to business and opportunities for additional simplification by April 30, 2026. The European Council is expected to approve the measure today. The Hardwood Federation was and continues to be an active participant in a larger forestry and forest product sector coalition advocating for changes to this policy.
Among the key components of the measure that will be approved today are:
- 12-month implementation postponement for all operators: A one-year delay for all operators and traders until December 30, 2026, with an additional six-month extension for micro and small operators (until June 2027). This eliminates the commission’s proposed grace period for large companies, offering instead a single, clear extension applicable across the board.
- Commission simplification review: The commission is tasked with conducting a simplification review by April 30, 2026, which will focus on reducing administrative burdens and proposing legislative amendments where necessary.
- Streamlined due-diligence responsibilities within the EU: Only the first downstream operator in the EU supply chain will be responsible for collecting and retaining the reference number of the initial due diligence statement. They will not be required to pass the numbers further down the chain.
- Simplified obligations for micro and small primary operators within the EU only:
- One-off simplified declaration rather than full due diligence.
- They can submit only the postal address of the plots of land or the establishment, instead of polygons.
- Only the share of activities within the EUDR scope will be considered for the micro and small primary producer thresholds.
- Removal of printed materials from EUDR’s scope: Printed books, newspapers, pictures, and other products (totaling 49 products in all) are excluded from EUDR requirements.
While most of the simplifications approved today help only those within the EU, this development is significant as it signals an EU commitment to consider additional modifications and establishes a formal avenue to advance changes. The HF team will continue push for needed changes to the EUDR throughout 2026 so that the mandate is workable for US-based entities.
Biomass Carbon Neutrality Still in the Mix: The Hardwood Federation attended a fundraising event on Monday for Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. During the discussion we thanked her for her leadership in preserving the policy rider that directs the Environmental Protection Agency and the Departments of Energy and Agriculture to recognize the carbon neutral nature of forest-based biomass energy in any of their policies or rulemakings. The directive was first enacted in 2017 as part of a year-end omnibus appropriations bill and has been reauthorized as part of the annual appropriations process every year since. Without Chairwoman Collins’ persistence on preserving this rider, it would have likely been eliminated several years ago. For Fiscal Year 2026, the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill (where this rider has always resided) in both the House and Senate includes this important policy directive. Senator Collins indicated at the event that she hopes the Interior bill will be part of a 5 or 6 bill package of appropriations measures that will be taken up by the full Senate in January.
Federation Signs on to SPEED Act to Expedite Permitting: The Hardwood Federation signed on to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce led letter supporting H.R. 4776, the “Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act,” or the “SPEED Act.” The SPEED Act would make meaningful reform to the National Environmental Policy Act permitting process. This bipartisan proposal was introduced by longtime hardwood champions Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Jared Golden (D-ME).
Source: Hardwood Federation