US Paper Industry Lobbies for Deforestation-Free Status from EU
The United States paper and pulp industry is urging the Trump administration to negotiate with the European Union (EU) to declare the US deforestation-free. This measure would ease compliance with the EU's new environmental regulations, which ban imports linked to forest destruction from December.
The American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA) argues that the EU law imposes unnecessary burdens on US companies. CEO Heidi Brock urges President Trump to include this issue in negotiations, recognizing the US's responsible forest management practices.
The EU policy classifies countries as high, standard, or low risk, with varying compliance requirements. However, it does not include a deforestation-free category. Any changes to the law require a legal proposal from the European Commission and approval from EU lawmakers.
The EU's deforestation law aims to prevent European consumers from contributing to global deforestation. It requires companies to demonstrate their supply chains are deforestation-free or face penalties.
US forest product exports to the EU exceed $3.5 billion, with the US being the largest supplier of specialty pulp. The AF&PA maintains that US pulp and paper mills cannot comply with the EU's traceability requirements due to the complex nature of their production processes.