Boise Cascade Pleads Guilty, Fined $6.38 Million for Role in Timber Trafficking Scheme

By Kelly Cloonan

Boise Cascade pleaded guilty and was sentenced to pay a fine of $6.38 million for violating federal law for its role in a timber trafficking scheme, the Justice Department said.

The Department of Justice said Monday the company purchased, sold and transported hardwood plywood from Horizon Plywood that it knew, or should have known, was illegally imported from China in order to evade countervailing and anti-dumping duties.

The importation was illegal because Horizon smuggled the wood and violated the Lacey Act by falsifying import declarations for hardwood and softwood plywood, the Justice Department said.

"Boise Cascade either knew about or was willfully blind to the illegal importation of the plywood they were purchasing from Horizon Plywood," said Adam Gustafson, principal deputy assistant attorney general of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division.

The Justice Department said Boise Cascade marks the third federal criminal enforcement action to come out of the duty evasion scheme.

Boise Cascade didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The fine represents twice the gross profits the company derived from the illegal wood at issue in the case, the Justice Department said. Boise Cascade was also sentenced to implement a compliance plan.

Write to Kelly Cloonan at kelly.cloonan@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 27, 2026 17:42 ET (21:42 GMT)