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 12th edition below and sign up to receive your copy.
Administration Launches New Trade Investigations: On Wednesday, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced an investigation into structural excess capacity and production in manufacturing sectors targeting China, the European Union, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Mexico, Japan, and India. USTR will open a docket for comments on March 17 through April 15 and hold a hearing on May 5. The investigations are being conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and could lead to the imposition of new tariffs on our trading partners. As we know, the president has also imposed a flat 10 percent global tariff last month under a different statute after the Supreme Court’s IEEPA decision. That 10 percent tariff is now being challenged in court. USTR also plans to launch an investigation today into forced labor practices in 60 countries. It is currently unclear which countries will be investigated and whether there is overlap with the 301 effort. The Hardwood Federation will review the formal notification once it is issued to assess if or how we should comment.
USDA Deputy Secretary Notes Need to Support U.S. Hardwood Industry: Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Vaden made comments this week on the AgBull podcast regarding the need to sell more U.S. hardwood internationally. Vaden also acknowledged the U.S. government’s role is pushing countries to meet purchase agreements in upcoming trade discussions. You can listen to the full conversation here; hardwood comments are made around the 22-minute mark.
More Agriculture Relief Pending: Senator John Boozman (R-AR), Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee reiterated his call for new federal aid to agriculture industries in the combined wake of global trade uncertainty, winter storm damage, U.S. activities in Iran and the resulting spike in gas prices. The chairman and several Senate colleagues have been pushing for additional agriculture relief funds for the last few months. The Hardwood Federation is working diligently to include hardwood relief in any package that moves forward.
Fly-In 2026 – Hold the Date! The Annual Hardwood Fly-In to D.C. will take place on June 9-10, 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. Details will be shared early next week. Don’t miss this opportunity to make your voice heard…especially important during a pivotal election year.