Forestry Protection Act of 2026

Bill Number

H.R. 8580

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 2

Policy Area

Foreign Trade and International Finance

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2026-04-29: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Last Updated

2026-05-12T22:12:46Z

AI-Generated Summary

Forestry Protection Act of 2026 (H.R. 8580)

Purpose

This bill aims to encourage the use of raw wood from the United States in imported finished forestry products by reducing certain import duties and fees by 50 percent when importers prove the product contains 100 percent U.S.-origin raw wood. It also requires advance public notice and comment periods before the President imposes or changes such duties or restrictions on forestry products under specific trade laws.

Key Provisions

• Tariff Reduction (Section 2):
• Duties or "covered import restrictions" (fees other than tariffs paid by importers) on finished forestry products—items like veneer sheets, plywood, or wooden furniture classified under Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) subheadings 4408–4421—are reduced by 50 percent.
• Applies if the importer proves to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that the product uses 100 percent raw wood material from the U.S. (unprocessed wood like logs or lumber under HTS 4401–4407, beyond basic sawing, chipping, or drying).
• CBP must issue implementing regulations within 90 days, including verification and anti-fraud measures, in consultation with the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).

• Notification Requirement (Section 3):
• Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to require the President to publish a detailed notice in the Federal Register at least 90 days before imposing or modifying duties or restrictions on finished forestry products (broadly defined to include items under HTS 4401–4421 and some wood pulp).
• Notice must detail the rate/amount, legal basis (specific trade laws like Section 232 for national security tariffs), affected products and HTS codes, justification, and effective date.
• Provides at least 60 days for public comments from interested parties.

• Covered Trade Laws: Applies to actions under laws like Section 232 (Trade Expansion Act, national security), Section 301 (Trade Act, unfair practices), and others allowing presidential tariffs or fees.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Introduces a new 50 percent duty/fee reduction incentive tied to U.S. raw wood use, not previously available.
• Adds a mandatory 90-day notice and 60-day comment period to the Tariff Act, limiting sudden presidential trade actions on forestry products (previously, some actions like Section 232 tariffs could be imposed with shorter or no notice).

Potential Impacts

• Government Agencies: Increases workload for CBP (verification/rules) and USTR; constrains presidential flexibility on trade restrictions for wood products.
• Citizens and Businesses: Benefits U.S. raw wood producers by boosting demand; lowers costs for importers/manufacturers using U.S. wood processed abroad, potentially reducing prices for wood goods like furniture or construction materials.
• International Relations: May ease trade tensions by incentivizing U.S. wood exports; could affect negotiations under listed trade laws by requiring transparency on wood-specific actions.

Main Stakeholders

• U.S. Forestry Producers: Raw wood suppliers (e.g., loggers, sawmills) gain market edge.
• Importers and Foreign Manufacturers: Eligible for 50 percent savings if using U.S. wood.
• U.S. Consumers: Possible lower prices on imported wood products.
• Trade Agencies: CBP, USTR, and the President (subject to new procedures).
• Affected Industries: Wood processing, construction, furniture, and export-dependent sectors.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Enhances due process via notice/comment, potentially challengeable if bypassed; relies on CBP verification to prevent fraud.
• Constitutional: May limit executive trade powers under existing delegations but aligns with Administrative Procedure Act norms for rulemaking.
• Political: Protects domestic forestry from broad tariffs (e.g., on China), promoting U.S. exports amid trade disputes; could influence future trade policy debates.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. McCormick, Richard [R-GA-7]

Recent Actions

• 2026-04-29: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
• 2026-04-29: Introduced in House
• 2026-04-29: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Forestry Protection Act of 2026 — issued 2026-04-29 — PDF (7 pages)