Palmetto State News

U.S. Senator Tim Scott, along with a group of bipartisan colleagues, has raised concerns over a regulation that could negatively affect American paper and pulp producers. In a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, Senator Scott expressed apprehensions regarding the European Union's Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR).

"While we applaud the EU’s commitment towards reducing deforestation, the EUDR, as currently written, presents significant compliance issues due to its stringency and ambiguity," Senator Scott wrote in the letter. One specific concern highlighted by the senators is the traceability requirement imposed by the EUDR, which mandates sourcing to the individual plot of land for every shipment of timber product to the EU. This requirement poses challenges for U.S. paper and pulp industry as a significant portion of the wood fiber used cannot be traced back to an individual forest plot.

The letter further urged the U.S. Trade Representative to seek clarity on the EUDR's traceability requirements, data reporting, and country benchmarking. The senators also emphasized the need for the EU to recognize the robust regulatory standards in the United States that protect the long-term health of U.S. forests. This recognition, they believe, will assist American paper and pulp producers in achieving compliance under the new standards and help maintain a mutually beneficial trade relationship between the United States and the European Union in paper and pulp products.

In addition to Senator Scott, a group of bipartisan senators including Marsha Blackburn, Rick Scott, Ted Cruz, and others signed the letter expressing their concerns about the potential impact of the EUDR on the U.S. paper and pulp industry.

The full text of the letter can be accessed for further details and insights.