U.S. Wooden Fence Pickets Producers File Petitions for Relief from Unfairly Traded Imports from China

September 24, 2026

Washington, DC – The American Alliance of Wooden Fence Producers filed petitions today alleging that unfairly traded imports of wooden fence pickets from China are injuring, and threaten to further injure, the American wooden fence pickets industry.

The petitions demonstrate that producers in China sell wooden fence pickets in the United States at less than fair value. These wooden fence pickets are dumped in the United States at a rate of up to 295.89% by Chinese producers and exporters. This rate of dumping reflects the estimated amount of unfair pricing used by Chinese producers to gain sales and market share in the United States.

The petitions also show that producers in China benefit from numerous countervailable subsidies. In China, these subsidy programs include federal tax incentives, preferential lending, grant programs, state-level investment programs, and discounted inputs. Together, these unfair advantages have allowed Chinese producers to gain significant market share at the expense of the U.S. industry and its workers.

The filing was made concurrently with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) in response to the surge in volumes of unfairly traded imports from China since 2023. By using highly dumped and subsidized prices, Chinese producers have gained a significant and increasing share of the U.S. market at the direct expense of the American industry. As a result of unfairly traded imports, U.S. producers have suffered significant declines in production, shipments, profits, and employment.

“The U.S. wooden fence pickets industry has suffered years of injury at the hands of unfairly traded Chinese wooden fence pickets,” said Timothy C. Brightbill, partner and co-chair of Wiley’s International Trade Practice and counsel to Petitioner, emphasizing that “it is imperative that Commerce and the USITC apply the trade laws to remedy these unfair trade practices.”

FACT SHEET

Antidumping and Countervailing Duties: Antidumping duties are intended to offset the amount by which a product is sold at less than fair value, or “dumped,” in the United States. The margin of dumping is calculated by Commerce. Estimated duties in the amount of the dumping are collected from importers at the time of importation. Countervailing duties are intended to offset unfair subsidies that are provided by foreign governments and benefit the production of a particular good. The USITC, an independent agency, will determine whether the domestic industry is materially injured or threatened with material injury by reason of the unfairly traded imports.

Product Description: The products covered by these investigations consist of certain wooden fence pickets, finished and unfinished, whether assembled or unassembled. Wooden fence pickets included in this scope are typically made from Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese Cedar or Sugi), but can also be made from other wood species, including but not limited to Western Red Cedar, Redwood, Incense Cedar, Douglas Fir, Western Hemlock, Sitka Spruce, and Cunninghamia lanceolata (Chinese Fir). Wooden fence pickets are included within the scope of this investigation regardless of form or shape, including, but not limited to square, pointed, dog ear, flat top, and gothic.

Next Steps: Commerce will determine whether to initiate the investigations within 20 days of today’s filing, and the USITC will reach a preliminary determination of material injury or threat of material injury within 45 days. The Commerce and USITC investigations will take approximately one year, with final determinations of dumping, subsidization, and injury likely occurring in late 2027. However, duties can attach to imports of the subject wooden fence pickets at the time of the preliminary determinations in the case, or even earlier.

Alliance Companies: The petitioning Alliance is comprised of: Alta Forest Products, Sierra Pacific Industries, and Mendocino Forest Products. The Alliance is represented by Wiley Rein LLP.