The U.S. Department of Commerce has preliminarily determined that during the period from October 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, hardwood and decorative plywood from China was sold in the United States at less than fair value, and it has also made a preliminary affirmative determination of critical circumstances. Beginning on March 2, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will suspend liquidation of relevant imported goods and require cash deposits at the applicable rates.

The notice sets an estimated weighted-average dumping margin of 187.27 percent for the China-wide entity and adjusted cash deposit rates of 185.96 percent for the listed producer-exporter combinations as well as the China-wide entity. Imports associated with the listed producer-exporter combinations will be subject to the cash deposit rates specified in the notice, while Chinese exporters not listed and not granted separate rates, as well as unlisted third-country exporters, will be subject to the China-wide rate.

Because preliminary critical-circumstances findings were made for the China-wide entity and certain non-selected companies that received separate rates, the suspension of liquidation will apply to affected goods that entered on or after December 2, 2025, or 90 days before publication of the notice, and that have not yet been cleared.

The Department of Commerce stated that the China-wide entity includes Linyi Changqing Wood Co., Ltd., Xuzhou Bihu Import and Export Co., Ltd., and other producers and exporters that did not respond. After the selected mandatory respondents failed to answer anti-dumping questionnaires, the Department of Commerce made its determination on the basis of adverse facts available.

If temporary measures in a parallel countervailing-duty case expire before the measures in this anti-dumping proceeding, the cash deposit rate may revert to the unadjusted dumping margin.

China's shipments of hardwood plywood to the United States have declined for nine consecutive years. U.S. imports from China fell from about 2. million cubic meters in 2016 to 52,800 cubic meters in 2025, a decline of about 38 times. In 2025, the United States imported 3.23 million cubic meters of hardwood plywood, up 20 percent year on year. Import value increased 22 percent to USD 2.402 billion, while the average import price rose 2. percent to USD 743 per cubic meter. Vietnam supplied 980,000 cubic meters, up 33 percent, accounting for 30 percent of total imports. Indonesia shipped 891,000 cubic meters, up 40 percent, raising its share to 28 percent. Canada supplied 183,000 cubic meters, down 17 percent, while Russia supplied 178,000 cubic meters, up 3. percent.

The Department of Commerce said it plans to issue its final determination by May 10, 2026, or within 75 days of the February 24 preliminary decision signature. After that, the U.S. International Trade Commission will determine whether the U.S. industry has suffered material injury because of these imports.

Source: Internet