US-China tariff list covers major softwood and hardwood lumber products

Rubber and Wood  |  2026-10-01 00:17:18   |   By

The subsequently released U.S. China Imports List provides product-level tariff codes for goods recommended for more favourable treatment.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The newly released U.S.-China 30-for-30 product list gives timber companies their first detailed view of the wood products selected for reduced tariff treatment. The list includes major softwood and hardwood sawn-timber categories, including pine, spruce and fir, Hem-Fir, Douglas fir, oak, maple, cherry, ash, birch and poplar. China says more than 90% of products covered by the reciprocal framework will have additional bilateral tariffs removed and receive most-favoured-nation treatment, although the changes are not yet in force.

From a broad wood commitment to a product-level list

As Fordaq reported on September 28, the initial U.S.-China announcement identified U.S. “logs and wood products” among the goods selected under the new reciprocal tariff framework. At that stage, however, the timber industry did not have the detailed product list needed to determine which sawn-timber categories were included.

The subsequently released U.S. China Imports List provides product-level tariff codes for goods recommended for more favourable treatment. For timber companies, the important development is the breadth of the Chapter 44 coverage: the list contains a substantial group of sawn softwood and hardwood products rather than a single generic wood category.

The publication of the list does not mean the lower tariffs are already being applied. Implementation remains a separate step under the domestic procedures of the two countries.

Major softwood lumber categories appear on the list

The softwood section includes several commercially important sawn-timber categories under HS 4407. These cover pine as well as fir and spruce, Hem-Fir, Douglas fir and other coniferous sawn wood more than 6 mm thick.

This is considerably more specific than the earlier reference to “wood products.” It allows companies trading several major softwood lumber categories to identify their product families in the published framework. The final commercial effect, however, still depends on formal implementation and the tariff treatment applicable when the domestic procedures are completed.

Oak, maple, cherry and ash are among hardwood categories

The hardwood side is also broad. The official list includes individual HS 4407 categories covering several commercially important temperate hardwoods.

The inclusion of these categories is particularly relevant to the U.S. hardwood sector. Fordaq's earlier analysis of U.S. Census export data showed that oak accounted for 51.7% of U.S. HS 4407 export volume to China in 2025, at 437,271 m³ and $294.1 million in customs value.

Maple, cherry and ash also appear individually in the newly published tariff list. This provides considerably stronger product-level information than was available when the initial agreement was announced.

The list extends beyond sawn timber

Chapter 44 coverage does not stop at lumber. The published list also contains products in subsequent Chapter 44 groups, including veneer and wood-based panel categories. This widens the relevance of the framework beyond sawmills and lumber exporters to other wood-processing businesses.

Implementation is now the next step

The release of the product list resolves one of the largest uncertainties surrounding the initial announcement: timber companies can now see that major softwood and hardwood lumber categories are included.

The remaining issue is implementation. The U.S. description presents the product lists within the Board of Trade process for more favourable tariff treatment, while China has said the two sides will implement the reductions after completing their respective domestic legal procedures.

For sawmills, exporters and Chinese timber importers, the next information to watch is therefore the formal implementation, the effective date and the tariff treatment applicable to each product line.

Until that occurs, the published list provides substantially greater certainty about product coverage, but it should not be treated as evidence that lower rates are already being applied at Chinese customs.

Courtesy: www.fordaq.com