WASHINGTON (News release) -- American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Heidi Brock has expressed disappointment that the European Union declined to make the practical changes needed for workable, risk-based implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) for U.S. forest products manufacturers.

"The EU had a clear opportunity in this review to make EUDR workable and to honor its 2025 trade framework commitment to avoid undue harm to U.S. manufacturers. It chose not to.

"AF&PA supports the goal of eliminating deforestation from global supply chains, but EUDR's current requirements - particularly traceability and due diligence obligations that don't align with U.S. fiber supply chains - risk disrupting over $3.5 billion in lawful trade in sustainable, renewable and recyclable forest products while also imposing significant new costs.

"The greatest EUDR compliance and cost reduction relief provided by the Commission is concentrated on EU operators, further expanding the competitive disadvantage for low-risk, non-EU supply chains that serve the EU market.

"We urge the U.S. government to respond with urgency and hold the EU accountable to its commitments for reciprocal, fair and balanced trade. By moving toward enforcement without the needed fixes, the EU is creating serious risk of undue harm for U.S. forest products producers and the American workers and communities they support."