The timber industry built around the Tongass National Forest in Alaska got a boost from the Trump administration’s latest trade deal with China.
In settling part of its trade battles, China agreed to accept imports of U.S. sawlogs for the first time since banning them in March due to worries about insect pests.
The resumption of exports — effective Nov. 12 — would help companies like Alcan Forest Products in Ketchikan, which for years has sold unprocessed logs to China. The latest agreement lasts one year, said Tessa Axelson, executive director of the Alaska Forest Association. A 10 percent tariff on products from both countries would still apply.
Axelson said the trade organization recognizes the work of the administration and Alaska’s congressional delegation in “keeping focus on this issue and finding a solution that allows our members to resume their relationships with Chinese customers.”
