AF&PA Urges EU to Address Non-Tariff Barriers Amid Delay of Deforestation Regulation

American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Heidi Brock responded to the European Commission’s proposal to delay the European Union Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR), welcoming the delay but urging the EU to tackle deeper issues within the regulation. Brock highlighted that EUDR functions as a non-tariff trade barrier disproportionately impacting U.S. pulp and paper exports to the EU, despite the sector being recognized by the EU as posing negligible risk to global deforestation. With the regulation threatening over $3.5 billion in annual U.S. forest product exports, AF&PA calls for changes to ensure fair and reciprocal trade relations between the U.S. and EU. The association encourages the EU to use the delay period to reform EUDR beyond technical IT system fixes for a more workable trade environment