Subsidy Programs Provided by Countries Exporting Softwood Lumber and Softwood Lumber Products to the United States; Request for Comment Pursuant to the Softwood Lumber Act of 2008

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) seeks public comment on any subsidies, including stumpage subsidies, provided by certain countries exporting softwood lumber or softwood lumber products to the United States during the period January 1, 2026, through June 30, 2026. Pursuant to section 809(b) of title VIII of the Tariff Act of 1930 (the Softwood Lumber Act of 2008), the Secretary of Commerce is mandated to submit to the appropriate Congressional committees a report every 180 days on any subsidy provided by countries exporting softwood lumber or softwood lumber products to the United States, including stumpage subsidies.

Full Text

<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 208 (Thursday, October 29, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 208 (Thursday, October 29, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68109-68110]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-22102]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Subsidy Programs Provided by Countries Exporting Softwood Lumber 
and Softwood Lumber Products to the United States; Request for Comment 
Pursuant to the Softwood Lumber Act of 2008

AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) seeks public 
comment on any subsidies, including stumpage subsidies, provided by 
certain countries exporting softwood lumber or softwood lumber products 
to the United States during the period January 1, 2026, through June 
30, 2026. Pursuant to section 809(b) of title VIII of the Tariff Act of 
1930 (the Softwood Lumber Act of 2008), the Secretary of Commerce is 
mandated to submit to the appropriate Congressional committees a report 
every 180 days on any subsidy provided by countries exporting softwood 
lumber or softwood lumber products to the United States, including 
stumpage subsidies.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by November 30, 2026.

ADDRESSES: All comments must be submitted through the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, Docket No. ITA-2026-
0100. The materials in the docket will not be edited to remove 
identifying or contact information, and Commerce cautions against 
including any information in an electronic submission that the 
submitter does not want publicly disclosed. Attachments to electronic 
comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF 
formats only.
    All comments should be addressed to Scot Fullerton, Acting Deputy 
Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Operations, 
at the U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, 
Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brendan Santschi, AD/CVD Operations, 
Office III, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-4141.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Pursuant to section 809(b) of title VIII of the Tariff Act of 1930 
(the Softwood Lumber Act of 2008), the Secretary of Commerce is 
mandated to submit to the appropriate Congressional committees a report 
every 180 days on any subsidy provided by countries exporting softwood 
lumber or softwood lumber products to the United States, including 
stumpage subsidies. Commerce submitted its last subsidy report to the 
Congress on June 30, 2026.

Request for Comments

    Given the large number of countries that export softwood lumber and 
softwood lumber products to the United States, we are soliciting public 
comment only on subsidies provided by countries which had exports 
accounting for at

[[Page 68110]]

least one percent of total U.S. imports of softwood lumber by quantity, 
as classified under Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
(HTSUS) subheadings 4407.1100, 4407.1200, 4407.1300, 4407.1400, and 
4407.1900, during the period January 1, 2026, through June 30, 2026. 
Official U.S. import data, published by the United States International 
Trade Commission's DataWeb, indicate that four countries (Brazil, 
Canada, Germany, and Sweden) exported softwood lumber to the United 
States during that time period in amounts sufficient to account for at 
least one percent of U.S. imports of softwood lumber products. We 
intend to rely on similar six-month periods to identify the countries 
subject to future reports on softwood lumber subsidies. For example, we 
intend to rely on U.S. imports of softwood lumber and softwood lumber 
products during the period July 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026, to 
select the countries subject for the next report.
    Under U.S. trade law, a subsidy exists where an authority: (i) 
provides a financial contribution; (ii) provides any form of income or 
price support within the meaning of Article XVI of the General 
Agreements on Tariffs and Trade 1994; or (iii) makes a payment to a 
funding mechanism to provide a financial contribution to a person, or 
entrusts or directs a private entity to make a financial contribution, 
if providing the contribution would normally be vested in the 
government and the practice does not differ in substance from practices 
normally followed by governments, and a benefit is thereby 
conferred.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See section 771(5)(B) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Parties should include in their comments: (1) the country which 
provided the subsidy; (2) the name of the subsidy program; (3) a brief 
description (no more than 3-4 sentences) of the subsidy program; and 
(4) the government body or authority that provided the subsidy.

    Dated: October 26, 2026.
Scot Fullerton,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing 
Duty Operations.
[FR Doc. 2026-22102 Filed 10-28-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P


</pre></body>
</html>