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Report from
North America
Most US tropical hardwood product imports
rebounded in March
After a very slow beginning to the year US imports of
tropical hardwood and related products saw a turn-around
in March, although imports are generally far below those
from a year ago.
Flooring was a prime example, with hardwood flooring
imports rising 43% over the previous month but still 21%
down from the previous March and assembled flooring
panels up 37% from February but 16% short of last March.
Wooden furniture imports jumped 18% from February yet
were 19% below their March 2025 level and moulding
imports were much the same, up 19% from February but
still 17% lower than in March 2025.
Sawn tropical hardwood imports rose 18% in March to
draw nearly even with imports from a year ago(down less
than 1% versus March 2025). However, hardwood
plywood imports remain anemic, falling 2% in March to
their lowest level in nearly three years.
Sawn tropical hardwood imports rose 18%
US imports of sawn tropical hardwood rebounded in
March, rising 18% from the previous month. At 15,538
cubic metres, volume was nearly even to that of March
2025. While imports from the top-supplier Brazil
weakened, imports from most other countries surged,
notably imports from Cameroon, Malaysia and the Rep. of
Congo.
Despite cooling in March, imports from Brazil are up
157% for the year so far and account for nearly one third
of all US imports so far this year. Through the first quarter
of 2026, US imports of sawn tropical hardwood are up 1%
from last year.
In Canada, imports also rose in March, but at a slower
rate. March imports were up 7% over the previous month
but were a full 26% stronger than in March 2025. While
the March numbers helped make up for a slow start to the
year, Canada’s imports of sawn tropical hardwood were
down 14% for the first quarter of 2026 versus the previous
year.
US hardwood plywood imports fell in first quarter
US imports of hardwood plywood continued to stay down,
falling 2% in March to reach the lowest level in nearly
three years. At 172,579 cubic metres, volume was less
than half the amount imported last March and was the
lowest imported since April 2023.
Imports from Indonesia were down 47% in March and are
down 62% in the first quarter while imports from Vietnam
fell 29% in March and down 45% for the quarter.
Imports from Malaysia and Cambodia have been strong,
with both up more than 90% in the first three months of
2026. Overall, US hardwood plywood imports are down
33% versus 2025 through the first quarter of 2026.
Veneer imports surge
Imports of tropical hardwood veneer vaulted 34% in
March, rebounding after two consecutive months of
decline. At US$2.59 million, imports were 26% higher
than the previous March.
Imports from top-supplier Cameroon grew 48% in March
while imports from both Italy and Ghana nearly tripled.
Total imports were up 18% over 2025 through the first
quarter, with quarterly imports from Ghana and India both
up more than 100%.
Hardwood flooring and flooring panel imports showed
solid gains
US imports of hardwood flooring rose 43% in March,
recovering somewhat from a slow start to the year.
Imports from Vietnam and Brazil nearly doubled from the
previous month, while imports from Malaysia continue to
surge, gaining 90% in March and up 264% for the year so
far.
Despite the gains, import levels remain weak. At US$4.48
million, monthly imports were 21% lower than in March
2025 and are off by 24% for the first quarter. Except for
Malaysia, hardwood flooring imports for the first
quarterwere down between 40% and 60% for nearly all the
US top trading partners
Imports of assembled flooring panels also saw a much-
needed surge in March, rising 37%. Again, despite the
rise, imports for the month did not match March 2025
totals, coming up 16% short.
Imports from Thailand, which had been strong all quarter,
grew by 20% in March. Imports from Indonesia and
China, which have been very low so far this year, rose
82% and 71%, respectively.
However, imports from Indonesia and China remain well
behind last year’s totals, while total US imports of
assembled flooring panels for the first quarter were down
16% versus 2025.
Moulding imports recovered slightly in March
US imports of hardwood mouldings also showed signs of
improvement after a slide, although they are still quite
low. Imports rose 19% in March from the previous month,
however, at US$13.6 million, March imports were 17%
lower than the previous March total.
Imports from Brazil more than tripled in March but were
still just over a third of what they were in March 2025.
Imports from Malaysia nearly doubled but still were short
of a year ago March.
Even imports from top-supplier Canada are off by 14% for
the first quarter, despite a 13% rise in March. Overall,
hardwood moulding imports for the first quarter are down
16% versus last year, with imports from Brazil and China
down more than 80%.
Wooden furniture imports fell in the first quarter
After hitting a more than 5-year low in February, US
imports of wooden furniture rallied somewhat in March,
rising 18% from the previous month. At US$1.39 billion,
imports for the month were 19% below their March 2025
level.
Monthly imports rose across the board, including a 20%
gain in imports from Canada and a 15% gain in imports
from Vietnam. Despite the March bump, total imports of
wooden furniture were down 25% in the first quarter of
2026, with imports from all top trading partner countries
down at least 15%.
For all types of furniture, US new orders were up 2% in
February over the previous month and up 1% compared
with February 2025, according to the March edition of
Furniture Insights. According to consumer appraisals by
the Conference Board, purchase plans for all types of
home furnishings, white goods and electronics on a six-
month moving average basis continued to improve in
April.
Mark Laferriere, assurance partner at Smith Leonard, the
accounting and consulting firm that produces the monthly
report, noted, "There continue to be some signs of hope
with consumer confidence despite all the 'noise' and
people continue to buy furniture, so perhaps the industry
will finally see the now long-time, pent-up demand
realized as the year moves along.
See: https://www.smith-leonard.com/2026/05/07/april-2026-
furniture-insights/
and
https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/furniture/furniture-
orders-show-slight-rise-february
US extends China wood mouldings and millwork
products antidumping duties
In a May 5 Federal Register notice, the US Department of
Commerce affirmed that the countervailing duty (CVD)
order on Chinese wood mouldings and millwork remains
necessary.
The agency determined that revoking the countervailing
duty order on wood mouldings and millwork products
from China would likely lead to continued subsidies,
maintaining the existing duties. The expedited sunset
review found that actionable, specific subsidies persist for
Chinese producers.
The Coalition of American Millwork Producers (CAMP)
filed the antidumping petitions in January 2020, claiming
"dumped" moulding and millwork products by China and
Brazil resulted in an increased market share of more than
10 percentage points during the period of 2016 through
2019, while the US industry lost between 7 and 9
percentage points of market share during the same period.
In 2019, imports of wood mouldings and millwork
products from China were valued at approximately $193
million, while imports from Brazil were valued at
approximately $315 million. In January 2021, Commerce
determined that imports of wood mouldings and millwork
products from China were being, or were likely to be, sold
in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV).
The original CVD order was published on February 16,
2021, following determinations of unfairly traded,
subsidised imports.
It covered various wood mouldings and millwork
products, including finger-jointed or edge-glued wood.
The duties, often combined with antidumping duties, aim
to protect the US domestic millwork industry from
subsidized competition.
Commerce announced affirmative final determinations in
the antidumping duty (AD) investigation of wood
mouldings and millwork products from China, as well as
the countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of wood
mouldings and millwork products from China. Commerce
also announced a negative final determination in the AD
investigation of wood mouldings and millwork products
from Brazil.
These orders remain in place for five-year periods, with
annual reviews possible. Additionally, in April 2026, the
Court of International Trade issued a slip opinion
regarding the scope of these products.
See:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/05/2026-
08736/wood-mouldings-and-millwork-products-from-the-
peoples-republic-of-china-final-results-of-the
and
https://www.lesprom.com/en/news/U_S_extends_China_wood_
mouldings_and_millwork_products_antidumping_duties_123304
/
Canadian manufacturers call for tariffs on global
imports of certain wood products
In April, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne
said the government had directed the Canadian
International Trade Tribunal to launch an inquiry into
global imports of wood cabinets and vanities, hardwood
flooring and storage furniture.
He said the tribunal would have 270 days to decide if
increased imports of the products are causing or
threatening to cause serious injury to Canadian wood
product manufacturers, and to make recommendations to
the government on next steps.
See: https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/canadian-
manufacturers-call-for-tariffs-on-global-imports-of-wood-
products/
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