Hardwood Plywood Producers Initiate Anti-Dumping Dispute

Reston, VA, November 21, 2016—The Coalition for Fair Trade of Hardwood Plywood filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission asserting that imports of hardwood plywood products from China are being sold into the U.S. at dumped prices, below cost, to gain an unfair competitive advantage, reports the Hardwood, Plywood & Veneer Association.

In violation of international trade rules, Chinese producers of hardwood plywood receive illegal government subsidies, such as tax breaks and discounted land and raw materials.

Illegal Chinese subsidies have enabled China to dump products into the U.S. market at prices well below fair market value. These tactics have enabled China to capture an ever-growing share of the U.S. hardwood plywood market.

The import data clearly shows that Chinese imports have taken market share directly from the U.S. hardwood plywood industry. Thousands of jobs have been lost, particularly in rural parts of Oregon, Washington, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Vermont. "It’s pretty clear that we're kind of in a death spiral right now," said HPVA president Kip Howlett.