European Commission Regulation Imposes High Import Duties on Chinese Hardwood Plywood

A distinctive aspect of this case is the deliberate and early shift by Chinese exporters to reclassify hardwood plywood as “softwood plywood” by applying extremely thin, superficial face layers-often so thin they can be peeled off-designed solely to secure a different customs classification and avoid anti-dumping duties. The Commission identified this circumvention tactic already during the provisional phase and initiated specific monitoring of such imports, opening the door to faster enforcement actions.

This development follows the Commission’s Special Alert issued in March 2025, which warned of the increased risk of circumvention involving Russian and Belarusian birch wood-materials banned in the EU but allegedly routed through China using false or misleading documentation. Similar concerns have surfaced outside the EU as well; for example, major UK market participants have reported sharp rises in suspicious birch plywood imports via third countries, potentially involving Russian-origin material prohibited under UK sanctions.