The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that could increase tariffs on Russian birch plywood from zero to 40–50%, the Decorative Hardwoods Association reported.
The legislation, a response to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, will need to be approved by the senate and signed by President Biden into law. “Tariffs would go into effect immediately” once approved, according to the DHA.
Russia is the largest exporter of lumber in the world, and 10% of U.S. hardwood plywood in 2019 was supplied directly by Russia, according to DHA. “Russia may account for 20% of U.S. hardwood plywood consumption, as plywood manufactured by major producers like Vietnam and Indonesia may use logs harvested in Russian forests,” DHA added.
Russian-made plywood is commonly used as cores for engineered wood flooring, and sanctions on the material could have major impacts for the wood flooring industry.
