WASHINGTON - eTradeWire -- On October 1, nine presidents and CEOs representing American manufacturers of hardwood plywood, engineered wood flooring and hardwood veneer asked President Trump to add our industry's products to the recently announced Section 232 tariffs on wood products. Over 100,000 American manufacturing jobs are threatened by the flood of dumped and subsidized decorative hardwood product imports from outside of North America. Just last week, Roseburg Forest Products pointed to this flood of imports that dominates 80% of the U.S. market as the reason for closing their last hardwood plywood mill and exiting the hardwood plywood market.

Manthei Wood Products is a family-owned manufacturer of hardwood plywood in Petoskey, Michigan. "President Trump, you have been a strong champion for U.S. workers. We respectfully request that you add hardwood plywood, engineered wood flooring and hardwood veneer to the Section 232 wood product tariffs," said Jeremy Manthei, CEO of Manthei Wood Products. He added: "Unfair trade practices have victims: the mill workers, loggers, and families of rural communities throughout the country, including in Michigan and Wisconsin. Dumped and subsidized hardwood plywood from overseas is wiping out our industry; our region has gone from 17 veneer mills to just four. These aren't just statistics; they are livelihoods and hometowns that are at stake."

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Columbia Forest Products is an employee-owned manufacturer of hardwood plywood and veneer headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina. "Columbia Forest Products has spent millions of dollars successfully pursuing trade cases against Chinese dumping and subsidies of hardwood plywood only to see them quickly transship or move parts of production to allied countries. Section 232 tariffs on hardwood plywood from these allied Asian countries would be a lifeline to struggling mills in rural communities throughout the United States," said Greg Pray, Columbia Forest Products President and CEO.

ABOUT DECORATIVE HARDWOODS ASSOCIATION
Founded in 1921, Decorative Hardwoods Association (DHA) represents the hardwood plywood, hardwood veneer, and engineered hardwood flooring industries. Together, we produce 90% of the hardwood plywood stock panels and hardwood veneer manufactured in North America. Find out more at https://www.decorativehardwoods.org/.