No New U.S. Investigation Into Plywood Imports From China

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) will not launch a new investigation into plywood imports from China for the time being. With this decision, the DOC dismissed a petition filed by four U.S. plywood producers on 15 February.

In the petition, the plaintiffs called for more far-reaching reviews to complement the investigation completed at the end of 2017. Specifically, they aimed to expand the subject of the probe into plywood made with softwood veneer faces. The companies report that a variety of Chinese plywood manufacturers have started to switch outer faces with softwood veneers in response to punitive duties imposed on hardwood plywood products at the start of the year.

Section 781c of the U.S. Tariff Act of 1930 allows the investigation to be expanded as long as the new object of the investigation only varies slightly from the grades covered to date. The probes conducted to date addressed laminated and unlaminated plywood with two or more layers whose top face solely consists of hardwood veneers or bamboo. Against this backdrop, the DOC feels that plywood with softwood outer faces cannot be seen as a minor product change to the object of the investigation.

From EUWID: https://www.euwid-wood-products.com/news/wood-based-panels/single/Artikel/us-no-new-investigation-into-plywood-imports-from-china.html

U.S. Producers Seek New Duties Against Chinese Plywood

The Coalition for Fair Trade of Hardwood Plywood has filed “critical circumstances” petitions with the Department of Commerce to stop recent shipments of Chinese hardwood plywood imports into the U.S., according to the Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association.

HPVA said that the shipments are being made in an attempt to enter the market before anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders are imposed.

If the coalition’s actions are successful, anti-dumping and countervailing duties will be imposed 90 days earlier, subjecting Chinese hardwood plywood imports to duties of up to 100 percent or more.

Commerce’s preliminary determinations in the countervailing duty case and anti-dumping case are due no later than April 17 and June 16, respectively. If critical circumstances are found, Chinese hardwood plywood imported as early as January 17 will be subject to countervailing duties, and Chinese hardwood plywood imported as early as March 16 will be subject to anti-dumping duties.

See https://www.hpva.org/ and https://hardwoodplywoodfairtrade.com/ for more information.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/us-producers-seek-new-duties-against-chinese-plywood?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news

Boise Cascade Expanding South Carolina Plywood Operations

Boise Cascade Company, one of the largest producers of plywood and engineered wood products in North America and a leading U.S. wholesale distributor of building products, is expanding its existing operations in Chester County. The company is investing $23.5 million in the facility, creating 52 new jobs in Chester, S.C.

In 2013, Boise Cascade acquired Chester Wood Products, effectively establishing the company’s first Palmetto State operations. Operating today as Chester Plywood, Boise Cascade has decided to expand its Chester County operations in an effort to better serve its growing customer base. With respect to its investment in the facility, which is located at 1445 Lancaster Highway in Chester, Boise Cascade has already begun installing new equipment and expanding the warehouse.

With a heritage dating back to 1957, and headquartered in Boise, Idaho, Boise Cascade manufactures engineered wood products, plywood, lumber and particleboard.  As a national distributor, the company operates more than 30 distribution centers across the U.S.

Hiring for the new positions began in the third quarter of 2015, and will continue through the first quarter of 2016.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved a $100,000 Rural Infrastructure Fund grant to Chester County to assist with the costs of real property improvements.

From the S.C. Department Of Commerce: https://sccommerce.com/news/press-releases/boise-cascade-company-expanding-chester-county-operations