President Donald Trump directed an investigation into the impact of wood imports on national security while initiating steps toward imposing tariffs. The investigation includes not only logs and wood imports but also products such as Korean sinks made from wood exported from the United States and then re-exported back to the U.S.
On the 1st (local time), the White House stated that Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Commerce to investigate the national security impacts of imports such as logs and wood under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act allows the President of the United States to restrict imports through appropriate measures, including tariffs, if it is determined that the import of certain items threatens national security.
A White House official noted during a phone briefing that "malicious actors around the world, including some harsh allies, are subsidizing overproduction and then dumping it into the United States. As a result, we are losing domestic manufacturing capacity."
The official named Canada, Germany, and Brazil as countries dumping wood into the U.S., adding, "These are the main actors, but many other countries are also involved."
He also stated, "We are focusing not only on wood but also on derivative products," adding, "There is an issue of logs we exported returning as products."
He mentioned that along with China, "Korea does the same," stating, "They are providing a lot of subsidies for things like kitchen cabinets, which are harming not only the logging industry but also furniture companies."
However, forecasts suggest that the impact on Korea will be limited even if the U.S. imposes tariffs on wood and related imports. According to the Korea International Trade Association, Korea's total export scale of furniture to the U.S. last year was only $30 million (approximately 43.8 billion won).
Earlier, President Trump publicly announced plans to impose tariffs of about 25% on wood-related products on the 19th. The White House stated that if tariffs are imposed on wood and related items, they will be in addition to existing tariffs.
On that day, President Trump signed an executive order to simplify relevant regulations and enhance forest management in addition to the Section 232 investigation to increase wood production.