Commerce Department Issues Affirmative Preliminary Antidumping Duty Determinations on Hardwood and Decorative Plywood from China, Indonesia, and Vietnam, Wiley Reports
PR Newswire
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2026
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 25, 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce released its preliminary affirmative antidumping (AD) duty findings on hardwood and decorative plywood, identifying significant dumping margins by hardwood and decorative plywood producers from China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Commerce calculated preliminary AD rates of 187.27% on imports from China, 19.98% to 84.94% on imports from Indonesia, and 196.14% on imports from Vietnam.
The Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood, representing a substantial majority of the American hardwood and decorative plywood industry, commends Commerce for its decision to impose these preliminary antidumping duties to remedy the unfair trade practices of China, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
"This decision by the Department of Commerce's is another critical step in leveling the playing field for American hardwood and decorative plywood manufacturers and combating the spread of unfairly traded imports," said Timothy C. Brightbill, lead counsel to the Coalition and co-chair of Wiley's International Trade Practice. "The domestic industry has been harmed for decades by dumped and subsidized hardwood and decorative plywood."
The antidumping duties are in addition to preliminary countervailing duties calculated last month by the Commerce Department, which ranged from 2.40% to 128.66% for Indonesia, 4.37% to 26.75% for Vietnam, and a country-wide rate of 81.34% for China.
As soon as Commerce's preliminary determination is published in the Federal Register, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will begin collecting preliminary duties on entries of hardwood and decorative plywood from China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Commerce also found that critical circumstances exist with respect to imports of hardwood and decorative plywood from China. As a result, duties will be collected on entries of hardwood and decorative plywood from China that were entered on or after 90 days before publication of the preliminary determination.
Commerce's AD investigations will continue over the coming months, as well as its parallel investigations of countervailing subsidies from China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Commerce's final determinations for Indonesia and Vietnam are currently scheduled for mid-July 2026. Commerce's final determination for China is currently scheduled for mid-May 2026, but could be extended until July 2026.
The duties that will now be imposed are assessed on the importer of record of the covered merchandise. Duty evasion, absorption, and circumvention are illegal and closely monitored by CBP, in conjunction with the Commerce Department. Counsel for the Coalition is working closely with CBP to share evidence of duty evasion, which is leading to heightened scrutiny of imports.
The Wiley team representing the Coalition also includes International Trade partner Stephanie M. Bell, of counsel Jeffrey O. Frank, and associates Stephen A. Morrison and Jacob Garten.
For more information, please contact:
Timothy C. Brightbill
202-719-3138
tbrightbill@wiley.law
Stephanie M. Bell
202-719-4384
sbell@wiley.law
View original content:SOURCE Wiley Rein LLP
