Terry Webber

Terry Webber, VP of Industry Affairs at the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), testified before the US Trade Representative during the Section 301 investigation hearing, urging the exclusion of Brazilian bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp (BEK) from potential tariffs. Webber emphasized that BEK is not produced at commercial scale in the United States and remains essential to domestic tissue manufacturing. He also stated that 99% of wood fiber sourced by AF&PA members comes from certified programs such as FSC and SFI. …AF&PA had previously warned that imposing duties on this material would raise costs for U.S. manufacturers, threaten domestic competitiveness, and risk shifting market share to foreign suppliers. …The Section 301 probe is examining whether Brazil’s practices in digital trade, electronic payments, ethanol access, intellectual property, and environmental enforcement are discriminatory or burdensome to U.S. commerce. The investigation may result in new tariffs depending on the findings.