BLOG

After reporting on Europe's recent ban on the imports of maple veneer from many U.S. states, I’m delighted to inform you that this problem appears to be solved with a new letter from the European Commission and guidance from USDA. DHA had been working with USDA officials to make the case that maple veneer was being misclassified and that drying and heat treatment prevent the spread of sapstreak disease from veneer. After receiving a European Commission letter agreeing that veneer had been misclassified, DHA shared the letter with the USDA who revised its guidance the next day.

DHA and the Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood recently met with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to help with enforcement of the new Vietnam circumvention findings in the Coalition's efforts to fight for U.S. jobs and against dumping and other unfair trade practices by China.

On a related note, we are pleased by the recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice of a guilty plea related to the evasion of more than $42 million in duties on hardwood plywood from China. The story below shows the lengths some people will go to for illegal profits from Chinese hardwood plywood. Unfortunately, there are likely to be more of these cases. If you are aware of any attempts to evade these duties or others on hardwood plywood, please contact me and we will be happy to help share the information with U.S. authorities.

If you have questions or comments, contact me. I look forward to hearing from you.

Keith A. Christman, President
Decorative Hardwoods Association