DHA eNews - China's Wood Flooring Trade Falls
China's customs administration reports that the value of wood flooring exports last year dropped 19% to $120 million. China's imports of wood flooring also fell by 8% to $78 million last year.
The U.S. has increased antidumping tariffs on composite wood flooring and tightened regulations on formaldehyde emissions for imported laminate flooring.
The USDA has indicated that the European Union will no longer restrict imports of maple veneer from Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, or Vermont.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has removed Vietnam from its list of currency manipulators. As a result, the U.S. might not apply related tariffs or other restrictions on imports from Vietnam, a departure from the government's previous stance.
Last year, Vietnam shipped more than $7.4 billion in furniture to the U.S., an increase of 31%. China shipped $7.33 billion in furniture to the U.S. in 2020, down 25% from the $9.7 billion shipped in 2019.
Lumber costs for a new single-family home in the U.S. have tripled. Now, home builders are pushing the Biden administration for a new softwood deal with Canada. Under the current agreement, the U.S. imposes duties of nearly 9% on imports of most Canadian lumber.
U.S. lumber companies are continuing to expand capacity as wood prices reach record highs.
The Canadian housing market is rapidly expanding due to very low interest rates, easy access to credit, a preference toward more real estate, and speculation. Remove housing and Canada's GDP contracted 3.5% in the past year.
The Oregon Forest & Industries Council released a report by Ernst & Young analyzing the total tax burden on the private forest sector. The conclusion: the forest sector pays about 1.5 times more in taxes than other businesses in Oregon.
Recent COVID-19 news that impacts our industry includes:
- A Canadian timber company is paying its workers to get vaccinated
- UN report: COVID-19 has exacerbated the challenges of managing forests
- COVID-19 fuels desire for homeownership
- Amid COVID-19 surge, Michigan extends emergency rules
- Some much-needed coronavirus humor
See the DHA coronavirus news and resources pages for more updates and information.
Capital Testing (formerly HPVA Laboratories®) now provides high-quality, high-resolution photos and videos of results for some test methods. To find out more, contact the Capital Testing team.
Trees for the Future and the Arbor Day Foundation will plant three million trees in Senegal, Chad, and Mali this year as a part of a global effort to create Africa's Great Green Wall. The Great Green Wall will combat desertification in the country's Sahel region, a result of overgrazing, deforestation, climate change, farming, and the steadily encroaching Sahara Desert.
A report from a worldwide coalition of NGOs shows that Chinese-speaking banks are the second largest financiers of commodities that contribute to tropical rainforest deforestation. In just over four years, these banks loaned $15 billion to entities implicated in deforestation in Southeast Asia, Brazil, and Africa.
Researchers believe that current models used to simulate climate change underestimate the impact of forest fires and a drying climate on the world's northern forests. This conclusion is the result of studying 30 years' worth of NASA satellite imaging data on the world's forests.
The increase in forest fires is leading to widespread contamination of entire drinking water systems. Fifty-five percent of America’s drinking water originates from forests.
Source: Ecowatch
The president of the German Forest Industries Council is asking the country's forest owners to stop logging, as log prices significantly lag timber prices. He stated that forest owners are the losers in a speculative bubble and should just leave the trees in the forest.
An Arkansas resident pled guilty to illegally harvesting 27 walnut and white oak trees from the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri. The trees, worth more than $20,000, were sold to local sawmills. He faces up to ten years in prison.
We may soon see wood grain panels incorporated into rocket design to help improve the mood and wellbeing of astronauts. Scientists are studying the use of wood panels for long space missions, as elements like wood panels have been proven to bring psychological benefits.
Watch the history of the once-abundant American chestnut and the chestnut blight that all but destroyed it. Researchers are studying possible ways to revive the species.
Where and how old is the longest wooden bridge in the world?