Southern West Virginia News

Today, Congresswoman Carol Miller and several colleagues addressed a letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. The letter requests a reevaluation of the anti-circumvention inquiry into hardwood plywood imports and its impact on U.S. companies.

The Department of Commerce and the International Trade Administration have been dealing with a trade dispute concerning hardwood plywood products alleged to originate from China. "We strongly support the Trump Administration’s efforts to crack down on unfairly traded imports from China," the lawmakers stated. However, they expressed concern that U.S. importers might suffer unintended consequences due to decisions by the Biden Administration's Commerce Department and Customs and Border Protection.

NWH, Inc., based in Frisco, Texas, is one such company potentially affected by these rulings. Employing around 1,000 workers across 12 states, NWH has provided evidence showing compliance with regulations. According to an ITA memo from July 9, 2020, “the merchandise subject to these anticircumvention and scope inquiries does not include core veneers fully produced in Vietnam or a third country.” NWH asserts that their wood products are processed in Vietnam using species native to Vietnam.

The lawmakers urged Commerce to consider extrinsic evidence submitted by importers during administrative reviews. They referenced a Committee Report by the House Subcommittee on Commerce recommending this approach: "Doing so would be consistent with direction provided by Congress."

In October 2024, Miller and her colleagues had previously communicated similar concerns regarding the certification regime's impact on U.S. hardwood companies.