China Includes U.S. Hardwood Lumber And Some Paper Products in Tax-Reduction List

China Includes U.S. Hardwood Lumber and Some Paper Products in Tax-Reduction List

Under the China-U.S. "30 by 30" framework, China has listed 146 U.S. wood products in its approved import tariff list and, after both countries previously agreed that logs and wood products fall into the covered categories, provided detailed product-level information. The White House announced that the approved lists are based on bilateral trade levels for 2024, with both countries' trade volume around $30 billion.

This product list provides details that were not released when the framework agreement was announced in early September. Initially, the White House included logs and wood products in the U.S. goods list and said it would offer better tariff treatment, but it did not disclose the specific product scope or tariff rates. Earlier, 32 U.S. lawmakers requested that U.S. hardwood lumber be included in tariff talks with China, citing China's tariffs of up to 25% on U.S. hardwood exports.

Chapter 44 of China's tariff catalog includes 146 tariff items, starting from HS 44011100 to HS 44219990. Products include wood chips, firewood, charcoal, cork and hardwood logs, lumber, railway sleepers, wood powder, and other wood products.

Hardwood lumber includes oak, beech, maple, cherry, ash, birch, and poplar, with HS codes from 44079100 to 44079700. The list also includes other North American hardwoods (HS 44079930) and North American hardwood logs (HS 44039960).

Softwood products include logs of pine, fir, spruce, larch, and Douglas fir, as well as various softwood boards. Board entries cover wood that is sawn longitudinally, spliced, sliced, or peeled, with a thickness of over 6mm.

Wood panels include particleboard, oriented strand board (OSB), medium-density fiberboard (MDF), and other fiberboard products. Additionally, it includes plywood and other laminated wood, wooden pallets and packaging materials, doors and windows, beams and columns, tiles, assembled flooring, and other architectural joinery products.

The coverage for pulp and paper products is much narrower. China's tariff list does not have Chapter 47 for pulp but includes a tariff in Chapter 48, HS 48119000, which covers certain bleached, coated, impregnated, laminated, surface-colored, decorated, or printed paper, paperboard, and cellulose fiber products, in rolls or sheets.

The U.S. list includes 77 Chinese products but does not cover tariffs under Chapters 44, 47, or 48. The list includes a separate Chapter 95 tariff for wooden Christmas decorations.

The framework does not specify lower tariff rates or an implementation date. Future tariff reductions on the listed products will be determined and implemented through each country's domestic legal procedures. Both sides plan to monitor bilateral trade in the relevant products and do not intend to adjust the list more than once a year.