# Wow.. duties on plywood and hardwood from China



## toddbeaulieu (Mar 5, 2010)

I wonder what this will mean to us? How much of the plywood at Lowes/HD/lumberyards is from China?

Feb 27 (Reuters) - The U.S. Commerce Department said on Wednesday it had set preliminary duties ranging up to 27 percent on plywood from China worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The move represents a victory for U.S. plywood producers in North Carolina, New York and Oregon who filed a petition last year asking for import relief.

The Coalition for Fair Trade of Hardwood Plywood accused Chinese manufacturers and exporters of "dumping" the plywood in the United States at prices 298 percent to 322 percent below fair market value.

They also asked for countervailing duties to offset alleged Chinese government subsidies given to the companies.

The Commerce Department's preliminary duties on Wednesday covered only the subsidy portion of the case. It will announce preliminary anti-dumping duties by the end of April. A final decision on both types of duties is expected in July.

The United States imported about $617 million of the hardwood and decorative plywood from China in 2011, down from $635 million in 2010. The wood is used for cabinets, flooring and other housing applications.

Washington has also imposed duties on wooden bedroom furniture and hardwood flooring from China in recent years.


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## TCCcabinetmaker (Dec 14, 2011)

U.s made birch plywood is running about 3 dollars more a sheet than chineese birch, sooo it should raise the price somewhat to a competetive price, but it may cause both prices to raise I don't know, but thanks for the heads up, this will affect me.

Alot of plywood also comes from south america so…


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

It is about time! Now, level the trading field. Little more than corporate welfare as it exits.


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## pjones46 (Mar 1, 2011)

OK…but when are the American companies going to make a quality birch ply or plywood in general without all the crap inside? I would buy American if you got the same quality, but it is not currently.

The Chinese buy our trees, ship it to China, and machine it then send it back to us at a cheaper cost than an American company can. How about stopping the flow of our natural resources to them instead. Unfortunately, someone is always making money these types of decisions, whats the real answer.

Do you want jobs here and the money to stay here; or cheaper cost of goods? Be careful of how you answer that one. Something has to change in this country to protect it as well as being competitive with the rest of the world, or not.


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## RogerInColorado (Jan 18, 2013)

Anytime we ship our natural resources outside our boarders we should be charging an export tariff.


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## REO (Sep 20, 2012)

They dont even ship it to china or japan. They mill the wood on a ship in international waters and just bring it back to shore. I agree with the accusation why cant we make a quality product at a competitive price. To many overpaid levels in the workforce? People who are feel they are entitled to everything but dont feel they should have to work for it? We have become a country of leisure and amusement.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

REO is correct. There are floating factories that mill at sea and ship the goods
back to us.


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## ScottinTexas (Jan 24, 2013)

I think it is the Chinese product with crap inside. Sulphur in sheetrock, lead in toys and melamine in food.


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## derosa (Aug 21, 2010)

? People who are feel they are entitled to everything but dont feel they should have to work for it? We have become a country of leisure and amusement

You mean the executives of the companies? Any working class individual I know is just struggling to pay the bills while both parents work and their bosses make 10 times as much.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

+100 for Russ! Isn't that the truth!


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## saucer (May 1, 2010)

Lowes plywood is C-3 and is cheap. It is thick and thin, try making a tight dado with that.. Home Depot said all there plywood is made in the U.S.A. and even it cost more it is worth it to me. But each to there own i am not spending your money..


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## TCCcabinetmaker (Dec 14, 2011)

Eh, I don't think that's the truth, the georgia pacific which is one of the major american plywood producers, I think there are 3 or so. They sell to home depot, and their veneers are easily 3 times thicker than chineese birch. China birch was discontinued at my local home depot because they kept finding things like razor blades inside of the sheets. So no, I think you have your products backwards.

There are a meriad of reasons why things are more expensive to produce in the U.S, being osha, epa, labor costs, FUEL costs…. so on and we've been ignoring the problems while blaming executives, because well everyone knows every business is as profitable as banking and insurance right? WRONG.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

I have owned thousands of share in hundreds of companies. Corporate governance is a scam on the share holders. We should be doing something about corporate management. 2012 is the first year since Bush 43 said they had to at least clean up the books and fraudulent financials filed with the SEC, that I have not received notice of class action against management for lying to share holders to drive stock price.

*osha, epa, labor costs, FUEL costs* are definitely huge factors. But China has to cancel flights in and out of their airports because the *SMOG cuts visibility!*


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## toddc (Mar 6, 2007)

I buy my plywood at local dealers that supply the pro cabinet shops (keep in mind anybody can shop there too.) Other than the Russian Baltic Birch plywood, as far as I know all my material is American made.

$65 - $80 plywood adds to the bill compared to Chinese ply at $45 and I occasionally lose out on the bid. I know for a fact that some of the guys I bid against use material from Lowe's & Home Depot. But I can see the Chinese material is not as high in quality and the price reflects that. As the saying goes, "You get what you pay for." And since I am trying to provide a higher quality project, I am selecting higher quality materials.

When I look back on some of these potential projects that I bid on, I am realizing that I should not even be bidding against these guys because I am in a different class. But sometimes it just takes time to identify these individuals and the recognize the situation for what it is. Often, you are held in the dark and much comes to light after you present the bid and it is compared to others and picked apart. As I type this, I think I will no longer subject myself to this situation.

From what I have read and understand, the Chinese ply is produced on floating factories in international waters. With the lack of environmental regard that they have in their own country, imagine what these floating factories must be doing in the middle of the ocean.


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## fge (Sep 8, 2008)

I do know this will affect us greatly as cabinet makers. I do believe I need to buy American whenever the budget will allow me to. The extra cost on the Chinese stuff should make buying American even more attractive.


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## NatalieM (Jan 6, 2013)

The extra cost on the Chinese stuff should make buying American even more attractive.

That is the outcome I am hoping for.

We can't shift this balance without having to pay the cost. I'm sorry that in cases like this, certain businesses bear more than their fair share of the cost. I not a purist, and I don't always buy American, it's actually pretty dang hard to buy only American even if you are trying! I really do think that all the goods and services we outsourcing is what's weakening and undermining America the free, the beautiful, and the safe country I grew up in.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

That is really the sad part. Anyone born after about 1975 doesn't have a clue about the America I grew up in ;-((


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Topa +10 How true!


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