DHA eNews - Homebuilders Ask Congress To Remove Tariffs On Lumber & Metals
To ease supply-chain bottlenecks that are hurting housing affordability, U.S. homebuilders are calling on the Biden administration to temporarily lift tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum and Canadian softwood lumber. The temporary action would remain in place "until a long-term solution can be reached," said NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke.
The European Commission has been accused of driving builders across Europe to the brink of insolvency after imposing antidumping duties of as much as 15% on Russian birch plywood. Many European companies are already reeling from chronic supply shortages and a surge in inflation.
In September, China's new construction starts fell for the sixth straight month, the longest run of monthly declines since 2015. September's decline of 13.54% vs. last year marks the third month in a row of double-digit declines.
After the publication of China's third-quarter gross domestic product numbers, economist Derek Scissors argues that China's GDP has been creeping down toward six percent growth for years and that the country's leadership might be losing interest in claiming fast-growing GDP.
Recent updates and information about the impact on our industry include:
- Panel manufacturers worry that vaccine mandates will worsen labor shortage
- CPA survey on vaccine mandate shows panel industry concerns
- Virginia contractor hands out COVID-19 bonuses of up to $10,000
- More coronavirus humor
See the DHA coronavirus news and resources pages for more news.
In 1960, the U.S. Congress passed and President Eisenhower signed the first joint proclamation designating the third Sunday in October as the beginning of National Forest Products Week.
Roseburg's purchase of 30,000 acres of timberland in North Carolina and Virginia will add to the 158,000 acres in the Roanoke Valley the company already owns.
Source: Roseburg
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The Conservation Fund has purchased 70,000 acres of forestland in Northern Wisconsin to preserve it for public recreation and logging. Their goal is to protect the land while supporting recreation and the forest products industry.
Oak Hill Advisors is looking for one million acres of forestland to sell as carbon offsets. Microsoft and BP are among the businesses that are buying forest assets to show investors that they are working to achieve key climate goals.
Senator Steve Daines (R-Montana) is calling for the U.S. Forest Service to do more to reach its timber harvest goals in Montana after falling short by 30% in 2021. Daines stressed that Montana communities rely on the USFS to reach these goals, which work to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, protect families from fires, and support their economies.
The not-for-profit organization Forests Ontario helped plant 2.8 million trees through its 50 Million Tree Program this planting season. So far, Forests Ontario has planted more than 34 million trees through the program.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a law outlawing the use of some new gas-powered equipment - including chain saws. The law requires the new equipment to be zero-emission by 2024. New generators must be zero-emission by 2028.
An open letter by Earthsight and global environmental and civil society groups accuses the Forest Stewardship Council of failing to protect forests and indigenous groups.
Where is the world's largest timber suspension bridge?