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Nearly two dozen Indiana hardwood businesses have joined hundreds of others nationwide in signing a letter to the Trump administration seeking direct relief from tariffs they say are harming the U.S. hardwood industry.
The letter was signed by 452 mills, manufacturers, loggers and distributors and highlights what they describe as the critical role the hardwood industry plays in supporting rural economies and communities.
“Thousands of family-owned mills support 1.8 million good-paying, hands-on jobs and generate critical economic activity in rural and underserved regions,” the letter states.
Craig Brouyette, president of Pike Lumber Co. in the Fulton County town of Akron, told Inside INdiana Business that tariffs have been “pretty devastating” to the hardwood industry.
Brouyette said some of the top export markets for the industry are China, Mexico, and Canada. Currently, China has a 10% retaliatory tariff on hardwood products, he said, while Canada has a 25% retaliatory tariff in place.
“When you take just those three markets alone, that’s, I believe, the majority of the export market for our industry,” Brouyette said. “So with the trade tensions and tariffs in place, those are obvious obstacles for us to get our products into those vital markets.”
The letter was sent to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
The coalition of hardwood businesses cited industry data, which shows that between 2022 and 2024, U.S. hardwood exports declined by $930 million, and the sector has lost about 40,000 jobs, or 10% of the workforce.
According to the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Indiana’s hardwood industry creates about $10 billion in annual economic impact. Brouyette said the industry supports about 70,000 jobs, primarily in underserved rural communities.
Brouyette noted that the hardwood industry was hit hard by the Great Recession in 2008, and the export market helped to get the industry back on track.
“Since the first trade war in 2018, a chunk of our market share as an industry in China has been replaced by other countries. So they go elsewhere,” Brouyette said. “That’s one impact—markets disappear, and then when markets disappear, obviously companies have to reevaluate, restructure.”
He added that the overall uncertainty of the tariff situation also places a heavy burden on businesses.
“If you’re trying to plan budget, trying to prepare for capital projects with the uncertainty that’s out there, it makes it just all the more difficult. Business hates uncertainty,” he said.
Brouyette said while his company still has export markets it is working with, Pike Lumber Co. is focusing on growing its domestic market as well. He said Indiana is blessed to have an abundant hardwood timber resource with a lot of diversity in the types of businesses that use hardwood.
“We’re producing a lot of hardwood veneer in Indiana,” he said. “Office furniture is big. We have flooring manufacturers. So the hardwood industry in Indiana is a major part of the ag sector. This trade war is certainly having an impact in Indiana, maybe not to the degree that it’s having in other states, partially because of our resource here in Indiana and the diverse mix of species, but it’s certainly having an impact.”
The letter to the Trump administration warns that without swift action, further losses could cause permanent harm to domestic hardwood production capacity.
“As you negotiate trade agreements in the coming weeks and months, particularly with China, we respectfully urge you to prioritize the U.S. hardwood industry, ensure our sector has equitable access to relief programs, and preserve our ability to compete globally,” the letter states. “Doing so will allow us to continue supporting American families, communities, and forestlands well into the future.”
The Indiana companies that signed on to the letter:
- Baker Forest Company, Inc., Akron
- CC Cook and Son Lumber Company, Terre Haute
- Frank Miller Lumber Co, Union City
- Frick Lumber Company, Inc., Brimfield
- Fumigation Service & Supply, Inc., Westfield
- Greg Abplanalp Logging, Commiskey
- Halstead Forestry, Linton
- Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen’s Association, Fishers
- Indiana Hardwood Specialist, Spencer
- JEG Wood Products, LLC, English
- Koetter Woodworking, Borden, IN
- MacBeath Hardwood Company, Edinburgh
- NWH, Elkhart
- Odon Sawmill Inc, Odon
- Ohio River Veneer, LLC, Bloomington
- Pike Lumber Company, Inc., Akron
- Pingleton Sawmill, Inc., Greencastle
- Superior Hardwoods, Montezuma
- Walsh Lumber Company, Bloomington
- Wilkinson Hardwoods. Indiana Veneers, West Baden Springs
- Worley Lumber, Pekin
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