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 March 5th edition below and sign up to receive your copy.
House Ag Committee Passes Farm Bill: The House Agriculture Committee marked up and reported the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026. The Committee vote was 34-17, with 7 Democrats joining all Republicans on the committee to pass the legislation. Several Hardwood Federation priorities are in the marked up bill including renewals for the Wood Innovation and Community Wood grant programs, job training dollars for the wood products industry, and codification of biomass as a carbon neutral source of energy. Also notable during the mark-up process were comments made by Chairman GT Thompson noting the importance of the U.S. hardwood industry and his work to secure economic relief dollars for the sector. While the legislation received bipartisan support in committee, its future is uncertain as it moves forward in the legislative process. Margins in the House are extremely tight and there is little interest in bipartisan cooperation.
Section 122 Impacts on Wood: Following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Trump Administration’s tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the President and his team moved swiftly to announce a 10 percent temporary import duty (which is anticipated to go to 15 percent) under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 which will remain in place until July 24, 2026. Forest Economic Advisors summarized how wood products from Canada are impacted by these changes as compared to other countries in a recent article including helpful charts detailing which tariffs apply and duty rates. Key points from the article include:
- Lumber is subject to Section 232 and therefore is not subject to Section 122.
- Canadian plywood, OSB, engineered lumber, and mass timber products that are USMCA compliant—which covers nearly all Canadian production—are not subject to Section 122.
- Offshore plywood, OSB, engineered lumber, and mass timber products are subject to Section 122 because they are neither USMCA compliant nor covered by Section 232.
Fly-In 2026 – Hold the Date! The Annual Hardwood Fly-In to D.C. will take place on June 8-10, 2026. The Hardwood industry will converge on Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress, reinforce the value of the industry to rural economies, and advocate for policies that support hardwood companies. Don’t miss this opportunity to make your voice heard…especially important during a pivotal election year.
Source: Hardwood Federation