Republican House speakers from five Southern states—the country’s timber basket —have urged Congress to step in and provide “targeted relief” for the timber industry. They say President Trump’s trade war has closed crucial export markets and strained already fragile regional forest economies.
The joint letter, circulated to congressional delegations in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama, now calls for a 90‑day notice period before new tariffs affecting forest products take effect, renewed diplomatic efforts to reopen Asian markets and action to resolve an EU fumigation restriction that blocks U.S. pine exports.
“For generations, forestry has been a cornerstone of Arkansas’ economy, supporting families, local communities, and jobs in nearly every region of our state,” Arkansas Speaker of the House Brian Evans said in a statement supporting the letter. “We must do everything we can to ensure this industry remains strong and competitive for future generations.”
The letter calls on four immediate actions.
- 90‑day notice: Require a statutory 90‑day notification period before the executive branch can impose new tariffs that affect forest product exports or imports.
- Reopen Asian markets: Use diplomatic channels to restore access to markets closed in retaliation for U.S. tariffs, with particular emphasis on China’s restrictions on log imports.
- EU fumigation rule: Press the European Union to allow sulfuryl fluoride fumigation of southern yellow pine wood chips, a regulatory barrier the letter describes as “one of the most significant barriers to trade impacting U.S. pine wood exports.”
- Tighten transhipment rules: Close loopholes that allow goods to be rerouted through third countries to evade tariffs by strengthening country‑of‑origin verification, increasing customs scrutiny and penalties for false declarations, and improving interagency and international enforcement and data‑sharing to detect and deter transhipment aimed at avoiding duties.
The appeal notes the regional economic stakes. Arkansas timber is estimated at roughly $7 billion and relies heavily on trade with Canada, Mexico and China. And whilst a number of the region’s largest forest companies, including Weyerhaeuser and Green Bay Packaging, have announced expansions in the state, the letter warns that falling prices and reduced export channels threaten jobs, mills and rural supply chains that support local communities.
The document, signed by the House speakers of Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama, frames the measures as practical steps to give producers time to adapt and to stabilise markets for export‑dependent firms. The signatories asked their congressional delegations to consider legislative or diplomatic solutions that would protect the long‑term competitiveness of the sector.
To learn why the U.S. current tariffs and duties “make zero sense,” click here for Wood Central’s special feature.
