Vietnam to Suspend U.S. Plywood Re-exports to Preempt Tariffs

Hanoi will suspend some plywood shipments to the U.S. in a preemptive strike to keep Washington from accusing it of letting tariff dodgers slip wood products through Vietnam.

Beginning Dec. 27, plywood, veneered panels, and similar laminated wood imported into Vietnam for finishing will not be re-exported to the U.S., under a Ministry of Industry and Trade regulation, Circular 22/2019/TT-BCT, published Nov. 13.

Washington has pressured Hanoi to block third countries from disguising their exports to the U.S. as Vietnamese goods in a bid to avoid tariffs. The crackdown on illegal transshipment has focused on Chinese exports routed through Vietnam ...