Tennessee Hardwood Industry Calls for Equal Aid as Tariffs Continue to Impact Rural Communities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2025
Contact: Tennessee Forestry Association | info@tnforestry.com
37 Tennessee companies sign letter urging White House to include hardwoods in federal relief programs
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In response to plans the administration announced to provide aid to soybean farmers feeling the impact of tariffs on China, 37 Tennessee hardwood businesses have joined a nationwide coalition calling for the federal government to include the U.S. hardwood industry in upcoming tariff relief programs.
The letter, sent by the Hardwood Federation and signed by 452 mills, manufacturers, loggers, and distributors nationwide, was delivered to the White House this month. It urges leaders to recognize the hardwood industry as an essential part of American agriculture — one that sustains more than 1.8 million jobs across the country.
In Tennessee, the effects of global trade uncertainty have been deeply felt, as exports are a significant portion of revenue. Sawmills across the state have closed their doors. Costs for fuel, insurance, and equipment have climbed, but lumber prices have remained largely unchanged.
“It’s just getting harder and harder for any steady business because nobody knows what’s going to happen,” said Chris Keziah, owner and president of Oak Ridge Hardwoods. “We’re one of the few industries that still sells our product at prices similar to the 1990s and 2000, and we’re in the 2020s, and insurance costs, fuel costs, electric costs, every cost has gone up and our product prices stay about the same because of the contraction of the market.”
“The reality of it is we’re suffering from it and we need help,” Keziah continued. “Mills are closing every day, going out of business and once our business is closed, the skilled labor that’s in it, they migrate off to different industries, and it’s hard to get people to come back.”
Since 2018, retaliatory tariffs and weakened export markets have cost the U.S. hardwood industry more than $9 billion in lost sales. Between 2022 and 2024 alone, hardwood exports dropped by $930 million, lumber exports fell 20%, and more than 40,000 jobs disappeared from the workforce.
While other agricultural producers have received targeted relief, hardwood mills — which grow, harvest, and process a renewable crop — have not.
“Forestry is farming,” said Candace Dinwiddie, Executive Director of the Tennessee Forestry Association. “When a mill closes, it doesn’t just affect one business. It affects the loggers, truckers, landowners, and communities who depend on those jobs. We’re asking federal leaders to recognize that connection and extend relief to the people who make this industry possible.”
Tennessee’s hardwood industry stretches across every region of the state, supporting jobs in manufacturing, logistics, and land management. From flooring and furniture to packaging and infrastructure, wood products remain one of Tennessee’s most renewable and exportable resources.
Tennessee Signatories on the Hardwood Federation Letter
Bran-Em Trucking Co. INC (Red Boiling Springs, TN)
Cardin Forest Products, LLC (South Pittsburg, TN)
Carroll Hardwood Co (Huntingdon, TN)
Clark Hardwoods, LLC (Erin, TN)
Clark Lumber Company (Red Boiling Springs, TN)
Clark Lumber Company LLC (Lafayette, TN)
Classic American Hardwoods, Inc (Memphis, TN)
Corley Manufacturing Co. (Chattanooga, TN)
Cumberland Lumber & Manufacturing Co., Inc. (McMinnville, TN)
East Tennessee Wood Products (Seymour, TN)
Evans Lumber Co. (Manchester, TN)
G.F. Hardwoods (Moss, TN)
Hamilton Intermodal, LLC. (Nashville, TN)
Hanafee Bros. Saw Mill Co. Inc (Troy, TN)
Hermitage Hardwood Lumber Sales, Inc. (Cookeville, TN)
Hughes Hardwood International Inc (Collinwood, TN)
ISK Biocides Inc (Memphis, TN)
Kendall Timber Co/DHM Company (Troy, TN)
Koppers Inc. (Jackson, TN)
LDI (Knoxville, TN)
Mayfield Lumber Company (McMinnville, TN)
Memphis International Trading Company (Memphis, TN)
Mullican Flooring (Johnson City, TN)
My 901 Media (Memphis, TN)
National Hardwood Lumber Association (Memphis, TN)
New River Hardwoods, Inc (Mountain City, TN)
Oak Ridge Hardwoods, Inc (Oak Ridge, TN)
Pierce Construction (Mooresburg, TN)
Price Sawmill, Inc. (Selmer, TN)
Ralph Largent Sawmill, Inc. (Erin, TN)
Savage Lumber Company Inc. (Doyle, TN)
Straight Fork Forest Management (Huntsville, TN)
Summit Forest Products (Knoxville, TN)
Swift Sawmill (Dover, TN)
Tennessee Forestry Association (Nashville, TN)
Thompson Appalachian Hardwoods, Inc (Huntland, TN)
Zimmerman Forestry Consulting (Cookeville, TN)
About the Tennessee Forestry Association
The Tennessee Forestry Association (TFA) represents forest landowners, forest products manufacturers, and logging professionals across the state. Since 1948, TFA has worked to promote sustainable forestry, responsible management, and strong rural economies.
Learn more at www.tnforestry.com.
