The U.S. Department of Commerce has issued the notice of request for public comments on Section 232 investigation of lumber imports. This follows President Trump’s March 1, 2025 Executive Order 14223 instructing Commerce to initiate an investigation to determine the effects on national security of imports of wood products: timber, lumber, and their derivative products. Commerce invites the public to submit comments by April 1, 2025.
Commerce identifies multiple topics of interest, including the demand for timber and lumber in the United States, domestic production, foreign supply chains, the impact of foreign government subsidies and predatory trade practices, the feasibility of increasing domestic timber and lumber capacity to reduce imports, and the impact of current trade policies on domestic timber, lumber, and derivative product production.
After the public comment phase, Commerce likely will schedule a public hearing. E.O. 14223 directs Commerce to complete the investigation and submit a report of findings and recommendations to the President by November 26, 2025. The tariffs could follow within 90 days after the President receives the report. The overall process is 10 to 12 months.
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