Sponsor
Rich McCormick
Representative · R-GA
Representative · R-GA
The bill lowers costs for importers and boosts demand for U.S. wood while adding transparency and predictable procedures, but it raises compliance burdens, risks revenue loss, could encourage offshoring and fraud, and reduces agility for emergency trade responses.
Importers of finished forestry products and U.S. businesses sourcing U.S. wood will pay 50% less in duties and non-duty import fees for qualifying products, lowering import costs and likely increasing demand for U.S.-origin raw wood that could boost rural timber producers and local economies.
Importers and U.S. businesses get clearer, time‑bound processes and advance notice (90‑day implementation windows plus at least 90 days' notice and a 60‑day comment period for new duties/fees), giving firms more time to plan sourcing, pricing, and compliance.
The requirement that notices list affected HTSUS codes, legal authority, justification, rates, and proposed effective dates, plus a formal comment period, increases transparency and public/stakeholder input, improving administrative accountability and potential policy refinement.
Importers and small businesses face added administrative burdens and compliance costs to prove 100% U.S. origin (and may face shipment holds), and the extended notice/comment process can create temporary market uncertainty that raises planning costs.
Delaying the effective date of emergency trade restrictions by at least 90 days could limit the President's ability to respond quickly to urgent national-security or economic threats.
The duty carve-out for finished products assembled abroad could incentivize offshoring of manufacturing stages while still qualifying for lower duties, risking reductions in U.S. manufacturing jobs in affected sectors.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Halves duties and importer-paid fees for qualifying finished forestry products made from 100% U.S.-origin raw wood and requires 90-day notice plus 60-day comment before new/changed duties on listed wood products.
Cuts certain import duties and importer-paid fees by 50% for finished forestry products when the importer proves the item is made from 100% raw wood that originated in the United States, and orders Customs to make rules to verify claims within 90 days. It also forces the President to publish a 90-day public notice (including a 60-day comment period) before imposing or changing duties or other importer-paid restrictions on designated finished forestry product categories, listing HTS codes, legal authority, justification, and proposed effective date.
Official title: To require certain duties and covered import restrictions with respect to forestry products to be reduced by 50 percent if an importer of such product can demonstrate that such product contains 100 percent raw wood material originating in the United States, and for other purposes.
Introduced April 29, 2026 by Rich McCormick · Last progress April 29, 2026