Prior to the trade and retaliatory tariff battle between the U.S. and China in mid-2018, the U.S. hardwood industry was exporting nearly $2 billion worth of product to China annually, accounting for almost 50% of the total U.S.-grade lumber produced.  According to the Hardwood Federation, those volumes made China by far the largest export market for American hardwoods and represented nearly 10 percent of total agricultural exports to China.  Beyond its contributions to the U.S. trade balance sheet, the U.S. hardwood industry also provided jobs in areas that are ...