Hardwood Industry Makes Their Voice Heard

On Tuesday, October 14, the Hardwood Federation transmitted a letter to Trump Administration officials making the case that U.S. hardwood companies should be included in any trade assistance programs addressing agriculture industries negatively impacted by trade and tariff policies. While the farming community, particularly those how harvest soybeans are the focus of significant attention as exports have slowed, it is important for decision makers at the highest level to understand that the hardwood industry, an important agricultural industry sector, is also suffering from uncertain global markets.  The letter was sent to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutkin, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Over 430 hardwood mills, manufacturers, yards, logging companies, and suppliers signed on to the letter.

Working with Monument Advocacy, a D.C. based consulting group hired by the Federation to increase our outreach capacity, the industry letter has resulted in significant attention from the press.  You can see a sample of recent stories covering the letter here. And we are not done yet.  Monument continues to share the letter with state and local press outlets and connect hardwood industry members with journalists as requested. If you have press contacts in your local area, feel free to share the letter and encourage coverage.

Articles from home states are also being shared with Members of Congress.  The federal government shutdown has closed the doors of many offices, but officials are still working in their home states.  It’s a great time to share the letter with your representatives and senators.  You can find office e-mail addresses at Contact.Gov.

The Hardwood Federation continues to focus advocacy efforts on raising awareness of current challenges facing the industry and the need to structure trade agreements that support exports or provide bridge support to sustain hardwood operations until such deals can be achieved. Thank you to everyone that has supported the Hardwood Federation as we make every effort to address the challenges of today.



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Washington Watch

Welcome to the Second Session of the 119th Congress.

The Senate is in session this week while the House is recess. House Republicans have decamped to Florida for their annual policy retreat where they hope to come to agreement on a list of legislative priorities in advance of the November mid-terms.

The bulk of substantive Senate committee action this week is on nominations. In terms of legislation, the Senate is on track to pass the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a measure aimed at tackling our country’s housing supply and affordability challenges.

U.S. House of Representatives

  • The House is in Recess.

U.S. Senate

  • The Senate is in Session.


Cheat Sheet

March 12, 2026

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 US 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.  Mr. Vaden also acknowledged the US 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, US 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 Federation is working diligently to include hardwood relief in any package that moves forward.  We will keep you apprised of progress.

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.  Details will be shared early next week.  Don’t miss this opportunity to make your voice heard…especially important during a pivotal election year.


Thoughts on the Cheat Sheet? Let us know at Hardwood.Federation@hardwoodfederation.com

 





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