KUCHING: The United States of America (US) recorded double-digit growth in imports of most tropical hardwood products in 2025 compared with 2024, despite trade tariffs and the uncertainty caused by frequent tariff changes last year.
Year on year, US imports of hardwood plywood rose by 19 per cent to more than 3.28 million cubic metres (cu m), valued at USD2.1 billion. Imports of tropical hardwood veneer increased by 20 per cent, hardwood mouldings by 12 per cent, and sawn tropical hardwood by nine per cent.
However, imports declined in two of the largest categories – flooring and furniture. The value of wooden furniture imports fell by nine per cent to USD19.4 billion, down from USD21.1 billion in 2024.
Imports of assembled flooring panels dropped by 12 per cent to USD300.3 million from USD340.7 million in 2024, while hardwood flooring imports slipped by five per cent to USD67.3 million from USD71.1 million year on year, according to the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) Tropical Timber Market Report (1-15 March 2026), which cited data from the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Trade Statistics.
The report noted that US imports of hardwood plywood in 2025 were the strongest since 2022.
“The top supplier by volume was Indonesia, while Vietnam led in value. Imports from both countries rose by more than 30 per cent in both volume and value in 2025.
“Imports from China were hit hard, falling to nearly half of their 2024 volume. Although imports improved earlier in the year, they tapered off towards the end, declining for a third consecutive month in December. Monthly volumes fell by 12 per cent in December and were 22 per cent below December 2024 levels,” the report said.
For sawn tropical hardwood, US imports from Malaysia – the second-largest supplier – grew by 23 per cent year on year.
Brazil, the top supplier, recorded a 17 per cent increase in shipments to the US in 2025 compared with 2024. In contrast, Indonesia’s exports to the US fell by 16 per cent.
Cameroon remained the leading supplier of tropical hardwood veneer to the US, with shipments rising by 29 per cent and accounting for more than one-third of the USD32.8 million spent on such imports last year.
Italy (+414 per cent) and China (+17 per cent) also posted strong gains, while imports from Cote d’Ivoire declined by 40 per cent year on year.
In hardwood mouldings, the US import bill rose by 11 per cent to USD182 million in 2025, the highest level since 2017. Imports from top supplier Canada increased by 24 per cent to more than USD59.4 million, while those from Brazil and Malaysia grew by 14 per cent and 13 per cent respectively.
“Imports from China edged down by one per cent for the year, after plunging by 93 per cent in December to their lowest level in more than 15 years. In December, US hardwood moulding imports rose by seven per cent month on month and were five per cent higher than a year earlier,” the report said.
For hardwood flooring, US import spending fell by five per cent to USD67.3 million in 2025. Although imports declined from most countries, shipments from Malaysia surged by 235 per cent, overtaking Indonesia and Brazil as the top supplier.
Imports from Brazil fell by 51 per cent, while shipments from China dropped by 45 per cent.
US imports of assembled flooring panels also declined sharply in 2025, falling by 12 per cent from 2024 to just over USD300 million. While imports from Canada – the top trading partner – rose by 15 per cent, shipments from Thailand (-58 per cent), China (-50 per cent), Brazil (-36 per cent) and Vietnam (-26 per cent) all decreased.
In the wooden furniture segment, US import value in 2025 fell by more than USD1.8 billion to USD19.37 billion, the lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic year of 2020.
“Imports from top supplier Vietnam were flat in 2025 but still accounted for more than USD8.9 billion. Imports from most other leading suppliers declined. Shipments from China fell by 43 per cent, while those from Canada, Mexico and India each dropped by more than 10 per cent. December imports rose by 11 per cent from November but were 15 per cent lower than in December 2024.
“According to Smith Leonard Accountants & Consultants, overall US furniture market shipments ended 2025 down by one per cent compared with 2024.”
