The U.S. Department of Commerce has ruled that hardwood plywood exported from Vietnam that originated from China circumvented U.S. antidumping and countervailing duties on Chinese hardwood plywood.
The U.S. investigated five scenarios of exports from Vietnam using hardwood plywood inputs sourced from China, and all five were found to have circumvented duties. A total of 37 companies failed to cooperate or respond, according to the Coalition For Fair Trade of Hardwood Plywood.
The Commerce Department ordered U.S. Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits from the 37 companies at the China-wide rates of 183% for antidumping duties and 23% countervailing duties. Other companies will need to provide certification that they did not circumvent duties by Aug. 14.
“This is an important win for U.S. workers and producers of hardwood plywood who have fought unfair hardwood plywood trade practices from China, including the circumvention of Chinese hardwood plywood through Vietnam,” stated Greg Pray, chairman of the Coalition For Fair Trade of Hardwood Plywood and president and CEO of Columbia Forest Products.
