The ruling follows a year-long trade investigation into imports that US producers said were being sold at unfairly low prices and benefiting from government subsidies. Combined duty margins could reach 275% for Chinese imports, with significant rates also imposed on producers in Indonesia and Vietnam.
The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has unanimously ruled that the domestic hardwood and decorative plywood industry has been materially injured by dumped and subsidised imports from China, Indonesia and Vietnam.
The final determination, issued on 19 Aug, clears the way for the US Department of Commerce to impose anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders on imports from the three countries.
“This is a landmark win for American hardwood and decorative plywood producers and the thousands of their American workers who have been fighting unfair imports for over a decade,” said Timothy C Brightbill, counsel to the Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood and co-chair of Wiley’s international trade practice.
“This critical victory for the domestic industry will help level the playing field against unfair import competition,” he added.
The ITC’s decision follows petitions filed in May 2025 on behalf of the Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood, which includes five US producers: Columbia Forest Products, Commonwealth Plywood, Manthei Wood Products, States Industries and Timber Products.
The petitions alleged that imports of hardwood and decorative plywood from China, Indonesia and Vietnam were being dumped and subsidised, causing material injury to the domestic industry.
In Jul, the US Department of Commerce issued affirmative final determinations in its anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations. Combined duty margins were set at 275% for China, between 28% and 213% for Indonesia, and between 138% and 255% for Vietnam.
All Chinese producers are subject to a countervailing duty rate of 88.96% and an anti-dumping duty rate of 187.27%.
For Indonesia, Wijaya Cahaya Timber received rates of 58.39% for countervailing duties and 15.4% for anti-dumping duties. Sengon Indah Mas and Java Wood Industri received rates of 4.22% and 23.88%, respectively, while Mustika Buana Sejahtera faces rates of 128.66% and 84.94%.
Other Indonesian producers are subject to rates of 40.87% for countervailing duties and 18.1% for anti-dumping duties.
In Vietnam, Junma Phu Tho is subject to rates of 165.39% and 90.12%, respectively. Trieu Thai Son and Nhat Duy Production and Trading, along with other Vietnamese producers, are subject to rates of 47.68% for countervailing duties and 90.12% for anti-dumping duties.
Following the ITC’s final determination, the US Department of Commerce is expected to issue duty orders requiring importers to pay the applicable deposits on hardwood and decorative plywood from China, Indonesia and Vietnam.
The orders will remain in force for at least five years and may be reviewed annually.
The ITC also found imports of softwood structural plywood to be negligible and terminated that part of the investigation. Decorative plywood, however, was included in the affirmative determination.
Source: Wiley Rein
