The tariff list of the USA and China expands the list of wood products potentially subject to preferential treatment

    China and the United States have published detailed lists of goods under the new "30 out of 30" trading system. For the timber industry, this means greater certainty about which categories of American timber and wood materials can qualify for a more favorable tariff regime.

    The list includes the main types of coniferous and deciduous lumber, including pine, fir, spruce, Douglas fir, oak, maple, cherry, ash, birch, poplar and other species. At the same time, separate categories of plywood, wood slabs, veneer and other wood products were added to the list.

    At the same time, the publication of the list does not yet mean an automatic reduction in import duties. For the new terms to take effect, China and the United States need to complete internal legal procedures and determine the actual rates.

China has gained more certainty on American timber

    Initially, it was a question of including American logs and wooden products in general in the trading system. The detailed list significantly expands the understanding of which products can receive more favorable conditions for shipments to China.

    For Chinese importers, this is important primarily from the point of view of procurement planning. Now it is possible to compare specific product items with tariff categories and assess the potential economics of future supplies.

    Of particular importance is chapter HS 44, which covers a wide range of wood and woodworking products.

    At the same time, the right of a product to potential tariff relief and the actual rate at the border are not the same thing.

The list includes the main coniferous species

    Among the categories included are various types of sawn coniferous wood, including pine, fir, spruce, hemlock fir and Douglas fir.

    For American sawmills, the Chinese market is of interest due to the large-scale consumption of wood raw materials and finished timber.

    If the announced changes are implemented and lead to a reduction in the tariff burden, American products will be able to receive more competitive conditions relative to other foreign suppliers.

    For Chinese buyers, this, in turn, potentially expands the choice of suppliers and may increase competition between import offers.

Hardwood lumber has also been widely covered

    Certain categories of the list relate to hardwoods, including oak, beech, maple, cherry, ash, birch, poplar and aspen.

    Oak is particularly interesting for the Chinese market. According to the data provided in the source material, in 2025, oak accounted for 51.7% of the volume of American exports of HS 4407 lumber to China — about 437 thousand cubic meters with a customs value of approximately $294.1 million.

    Thus, a potential change in tariff conditions may have a significant impact on the hardwood trade.

Tariff changes affect not only lumber

    The list also applies to products of subsequent stages of wood processing.

    It includes categories related to:

• plywood;
• particle board;
• oriented chipboard;
• fiberboard;
• veneer;
• other wood products.

    This expands the potential range of participants in trade flows between the United States and China. Possible changes in conditions may affect not only sawmills and logging companies, but also manufacturers of wood boards, furniture components and other highly processed products.

What does this mean for the Chinese market

    For Chinese importers, the main result of the publication of the list so far is not a reduction in the cost of wood, but a reduction in uncertainty.

    Companies were able to determine in advance which product lines could potentially receive a more favorable tariff regime. However, before the publication of the final rates and the date of their application, it is premature to calculate the future cost based solely on the new list.

    If the tariff cuts do take effect, American suppliers will be able to strengthen their positions in the Chinese market. This may increase competition with suppliers from Canada, Europe, Russia, New Zealand, Australia and other countries.

    For Chinese lumber companies, increased competition potentially means more opportunities to choose the origin of raw materials and negotiate prices.

Companies interested in purchasing lumber can get acquainted with the current offers:

https://woodresource.ru/browse/buy/lumber/

American timber may face increased competition in the Chinese market

    Even if the tariff burden is reduced, American suppliers will not receive an automatic advantage.

The final competitiveness of wood is determined not only by the customs rate, but also by the cost of raw materials, freight, container logistics, exchange rates, product characteristics and delivery conditions.

    In addition, Chinese buyers have traditionally diversified their sources of purchases. Therefore, a change in the tariff regime between the United States and China may become only one of the factors of the redistribution of international timber flows.

    The situation is also of interest to Russian suppliers. If American timber gets better access to the Chinese market, competition for a Chinese buyer may intensify. At the same time, changes in American supplies can create additional niches for other exporters in those segments where American products will be less competitive in price or logistics.

Lumber suppliers can place their offers for potential buyers:

https://woodresource.ru/browse/sell/lumber/

The main question is when the new rates will take effect

    At the current stage, the forest market has received a detailed list of products, but not a definitive picture of tariffs.

    The next key events will be:

1. completion of internal legal procedures in China and the USA;
2. publication of final tariff rates;
3. determining the effective date of the new terms;
4. practical application of the new rates by Chinese customs.

    Until then, Chinese importers and American exporters should consider the published list primarily as a confirmation of potential product coverage, rather than as an existing reduction in duties.

Tags: #China #Chinese market #Wood #Lumber #Forestry market #Import of wood #Export of wood #USA #China #Tariffs #Trade #Timber industry #Coniferous Lumber #Hardwood Lumber #Oak #Pine #Douglas Fir #Woodworking #World Timber Market #China Market