Strengthen Wood Product Supply Chains Act of 2025
The Strengthen Wood Product Supply Chains Act of 2025 proposes a targeted set of procedural protections to the enforcement of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981. It adds a new, detailed process for merchandise detained for inspection, including strict timelines for when the government must notify importers, disclose the reasons and testing plans, and either release or seize detained goods within a defined period. The bill also creates an administrative review pathway and, if necessary, litigation options for importers to seek relief. Overall, the measure aims to make the detention, testing, and disposition process more transparent, timely, and accountable, reducing unnecessary delays while preserving the government’s ability to enforce the Lacey Act. The changes reorganize the applicable subsections, insert a new subsection on detained merchandise, and establish clear duties for agencies and rights for importers—such as notice timelines, test replication rights, potential transfer of detained goods, and a 30-day deadline to release or seize—with a mechanism for administrative review and court relief if decisions are not promptly resolved.
Key Points
- 1New detainee procedure and timelines: If merchandise is detained for inspection, the agency must issue a notice of detention or release the merchandise within 5 days of initiation, with a required contents list for the notice (reason, anticipated duration, tests being conducted, and information that could speed disposition).
- 2Transfer and storage provisions: After 10 days, the importer may request transferring detained merchandise to a non-US location, provided the importer pays demurrage/storage fees, provides a removal bond, and the transfer won’t undermine the Act’s purposes.
- 3Test replication and disclosure: If tests are conducted, the Secretary must share the test results and enough information for the importer to replicate the tests.
- 4Release or seizure deadline and due process: Within 30 days, the Secretary must either release the detained merchandise or seize it and notify the importer; a failure to take action within 30 days is treated as a seizure.
- 5Administrative review and court relief: Importers can request an administrative review of a seizure or deemed seizure; the Secretary must decide within 30 days, and if relief is not timely granted, the importer may file a claim in federal district court and seek appropriate relief, including release, subject to a standard of admissibility evidence for good cause.