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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.

Both Houses of Congress are in session this week. The most notable action we are following is the House Agriculture Committee’s Farm Bill mark-up on Tuesday. This markup was scheduled for last Monday, but was postponed due to weather-related travel disruptions. Action begins at 5pm March 3 and we expect the measure to be reported from committee with possibly some bipartisan support.

On Wednesday, the House Financial Services Committee will hold a markup on several bills, including the Main Street Capital Access Act (H.R. 6955)—a measure to reform small and mid-sized bank and credit union regulations to promote competition and formation of new depository institutions.   

U.S. House of Representatives

  • The House is in Session.

U.S. Senate

  • The Senate is in Session.

Cheat Sheet

March 5, 2026

House Ag Committee Passes Farm Bill: Yesterday 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 US 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% temporary import duty (which is anticipated to go to 15%) 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.  Details will be shared soon.  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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