The US Department of Commerce (DOC) has announced an extension of the deadline for issuing its final conclusion on a duty evasion probe into hardwood and plywood imported from Vietnam, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Earlier, on July 25, 2022, the DOC announced its preliminary conclusion on the case. It said that plywood from Vietnam using materials from China should be subject to the same anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties applied to the northern neighbor. If the materials are produced in Vietnam or other countries, products will be exempt from any duties.

The provisional tax rate may be up to 378.26 per cent, applicable to shipments imported into the US from June 17, 2020.

However, the DOC has allowed Vietnamese enterprises to cooperate in the investigation process in order to self-certify that they do not use Chinese materials.

This is the sixth time the DOC has announced an extension in the case.

The final conclusion is now scheduled to be issued on May 2, 2023.

Export revenue of wood and wooden products to the US reached over $7.8 billion in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 3 per cent.