DHA eNews - Canada Sides With China On Decorative Plywood
On February 19, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal issued a determination that decorative plywood imports from China have not injured and do not threaten to injure Canadian producers of the product. CHPVA, the Canadian Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association, is surprised and disappointed by this decision.
The U.S. Department of Commerce plans to reinstate higher anti-subsidy duties on some imports of Canadian softwood lumber. This change is opposed by Canadian public and private interests and must be approved by the U.S. Court of International Trade. The National Association of Home Builders urged the Biden administration to remove import tariffs on Canadian lumber.
A new law proposed by Russia’s president will ban the export of softwood logs and high-value hardwood logs as of January 1, 2022. The change is expected to have the most impact on China.
Some of the latest COVID-19 news that affects our industry includes:
- U.S. housing market appears immune to the COVID-19 pandemic
- HUD extends COVID-19 forbearance for FHA loans
- Some more coronavirus humor
See the DHA coronavirus news and resources pages for more.
DHA's 100th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Meeting will likely be moved to either September or October 2021. No dates have been confirmed yet with the Sonesta Resort on Hilton Head Island.
The Hardwood Forestry Fund has awarded funding of more than $57,000 to eight different projects in Iowa and in Minnesota.
Designers, specifiers, architects, woodworkers, and more all use the Decorative Hardwoods Association 2021 Where To Buy membership directory to find the hardwood plywood, engineered wood flooring, veneer, and machinery and supplies they need to create beautiful hardwood products. Don't miss out - download your free copy now.
Canada's Minister of Natural Resources announced the next step in its commitment to plant two billion trees: the launch of two initiatives to assess interest from organizations who would like to collaborate on tree planting projects. Organizations have until March 25 to submit their expression of interest for Early Start Projects and until May 27 to submit information for future projects.
Malaysia has received global recognization for its ability to balance conservation and development. The country's leadership has retained 50% of its total land area as tropical forest while developing a timber export business that is the envy of its neighbors.
French forestry teams are scouring Europe to find oaks between 150 and 200 years old to use to rebuild the iconic spire of the Notre Dame Cathedral that was destroyed in the 2019 fire.
Thanks to a 42,000-year-old kauri tree that was unearthed in New Zealand, scientists have put together the story of how the Earth’s magnetic field collapsed and flipped poles, eons ago. This event, among others, caused a shift in our planet's climate that lasted 500 years.
Every two minutes, an area of forest the size of a football field was cleared in Paraguay in 2019. Much of the forest was illegally cleared by cattle ranching companies in the Chaco region, home to one of the last remaining indigenous communities.
On February 23, the EU and Honduras signed a voluntary agreement on forest law enforcement, governance, and trade in timber products. The purpose is to ensure that all Honduran timber and timber products exported to the EU are legally sourced and licensed.
Sri Lanka’s Forest Department has launched a $5 million reforesting project - after a court ruling that a former government minister must pay for the reforestation initiative.
Which U.S. president had the vinyl floor removed from the Oval Office? Who installed it?
Hint: 1969 - 1982.