July 25, 2019

DHA eNews - Expect Countervailing Duties On Kitchen Cabinets

Expect Countervailing Duties On Kitchen Cabinets

The American Kitchen Cabinet Alliance is ramping up the pressure on the U.S. government to act to address unfair Chinese trade practices. The Department of Commerce will decide by August 5 on preliminary countervailing duty rates to offset Chinese government subsidies. The AKCA says China's unfair practices are hurting 250,000 jobs in the U.S. cabinet industry.

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New Zealand Logs Pile Up In China As Radiata Plywood Shipments To U.S. Plummet

Unsold logs from New Zealand are stacking up at Chinese ports as buyers import cheap, sawn timber from Russia and Scandinavia by train. New Zealand woodlot owners are looking at other outlets, including using logs as fuel.

U.S. Manufacturers Support Tariffs On China

A survey of 200 manufacturers in Wisconsin reports that Chinese tariffs are hurting business. Even so, 67% of those surveyed support the tariffs - and fair trade.

The U.S. Is China's Largest Market For Wood Furniture

In 2018, China exported nearly $13.5 billion in wood furniture, down 2% from the year before. The U.S. remains China's number one customer for wood furniture, accounting for 42% of exports. Hong Kong is a distant second at 6%.

China Invests Less In The U.S.

While Chinese global investment spending is strong, the country has not invested heavily in the U.S. since early 2017. China has never invested much in "Belt and Road," a Chinese strategy promoting infrastructure development in other countries.

Vietnam Benefits From U.S.-China Trade Dispute

Vietnam exported $2.3 billion in wood products in the first quarter of 2019, about 16% higher than last year.

IKEA To Close U.S. Plant

In December, IKEA will close its only U.S. plant in Danville, VA, due to the high cost of raw materials. Closing the plant, which produces shelving and living room storage units, will eliminate about 300 jobs. Production will be moved to Europe.

Remembering Andrew Honzel

Andrew Honzel passed away on June 18 in Lake Oswego, OR. He was 88.

Andy was a much-admired member of our community. He led the growth of Columbia Forest Products from a single plant to become the largest producer of hardwood plywood and veneer in North America. He will be missed.

Howlett AWFS Presentation On International Trade Now Available Online

Last week, Decorative Hardwoods Association president Kip Howlett talked through the latest issues in international trade at AWFS. For a copy of his presentation, go to decorativehardwoods.org

Former DHA Board Chair Dr. Beakler Highlighted

After leaving Armstrong Flooring, wood product scientist and former Decorative Hardwoods Association board chair Dr. Brian Beakler formed a wood science consulting firm, which was recently featured in a Pennsylvania business journal.

440 Companies Drop “Go Green – Go Paperless” Messaging

More than 440 companies and organizations worldwide have removed misleading "go green – go paperless" messaging from their marketing materials. The majority of these are telecom providers, banks and financial institutions, utility companies, and government agencies.

Architects Choose Wood For Greener, Healthier Offices

More architects are choosing wood as a structural or finishing material in offices for its natural beauty as well as its practical benefits. Incorporating wood can enhance air quality, acoustics, and energy efficiency as well as an overall feeling of wellness from those who work in the space. These benefits are important to the average North American, who, research shows, spends about 90 percent of their time indoors.

How Hardwood Trees Manage Heat

Experts explain how hardwood trees mitigate the effects of extreme summer heat with some impressive coping mechanisms.

Vast Forests Protected In U.S. Coal Country

The Nature Conservancy and private investor partners now control approximately 400 square miles in the central Appalachian Mountains. Investors will see financial returns from the sales of sustainable timber, carbon offset credits, and eventually, the sale of the land - with sustainable management restrictions.

How Human Development Changes Wildlands Over Time

Development negatively affects wildlands by eating away at the edges or breaking large natural areas into smaller patches. From 1990 to 2010, the interface of wildlands with urban areas increased by nearly 200,000 square kilometers, an area larger than Washington State.

Sudden Oak Death Spreads To Missouri, Illinois
Oil Giant Invests In Forests

Total, a French oil company, announced that it would invest $100 million annually on forest preservation and reforestation projects because "the most effective way to eliminate carbon, for less than US$10 a ton, is reforestation." Between 1990 and 2015, EU countries have reforested an area the size of Portugal.

Source: The Economist

The Cost Of Peace In Post-War Countries: "Alarming Forest Loss"
Thieves Accelerate Deforestation In Brazil

Satellite data shows that Brazil’s Amazon region lost more forest in May than in any other month over the past ten years. Land thieves are logging trees and then selling the cleared land to ranchers.

Arrests In Brazil: 8,000 Truckloads Of Logs May Have Been Illegally Sold
Almost Half Of Homeowners Plan To Renovate In Next 2 Years
U.S. Single-Family Starts Up 3.5% In June But Down 4.9% Overall
Canadian Housing Starts Grow 26% In June
Mortgage Delinquency Rate Hits 20-Year Low

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