DHA eNews - TPCs Hit Choppy Seas
The EPA has suspended or revoked recognition of third-party certifiers (TPCs) of TSCA Title VI formaldehyde emission standards in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China. None of these companies may certify producers until their TPC status has been reinstated. Panel producers using these TPCs have 90 days to find a new TPC and must still comply with all EPA regulatory requirements.
The U.S. Structural Plywood Integrity Coalition claims that panels made with Brazilian pine and certified by any of three U.S. certification agencies - PFS TECO, Timber Products Inspection Inc., and International Accreditation Services - do not meet the performance requirements of U.S. Voluntary Product Standard PS 1-09. Allegedly, 35 Brazilian companies are falsely labeling structural panels imported to the U.S. as certified that do not meet the standard. Timber Products Inspection Inc. denies the claims.
Danzer's new Linea Black Birch veneer has a surface option that has been turning heads within design groups for its similarity in appearance to high‑quality textiles.
Experts compared quality in five categories: cabinet construction, cabinet drawers, drawer faces and face frames, finish, and warranty. The outcome: U.S. cabinets are superior in all five categories.
Exports of hardwood lumber declined sharply soon after China placed retaliatory 25% tariffs on imports of U.S. lumber and other wood products. Exports of U.S. hardwood logs have fallen but are still on pace to exceed $500 million.
Chinese contractors received $118.9 billion from cross-border sales in 2018. Chinese contractors now lead this industry, garnering 60% of all cross-border construction revenue in Africa and 40% in Asia outside of China.
A comprehensive timeline of the trade war outlines which key events occurred at what time and includes the events that led to the trade war. Currently, total U.S. tariffs applied exclusively to Chinese goods are $550 billion, while total Chinese tariffs applied exclusively to U.S. goods are $185 billion.
The Window & Door Manufacturers Association has asked Canada to amend the proposed regulation for formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products to address "inconsistencies with the form, content, and placement of labels" and "record-keeping requirements that would necessitate U.S. manufacturers who do not have facilities in Canada to establish a Canadian presence."
Looking for sustainable hardwood plywood, veneer, or engineered wood flooring? Join the thousands of designers, specifiers, end-users, architects, and woodworkers who use the Decorative Hardwoods Association Where To Buy directory to find what they need. Download your free copy today.
The public comment period for 2019 revisions to the ANSI/HPVA EF 2012 – American National Standard For Engineered Wood Flooring will close on October 14. To request a copy of the proposed engineered wood flooring standards, email standards@decorativehardwoods.org.
At the Architecture of Emergency climate summit in London, experts and activists called on architects to combat climate change by replacing concrete construction with timber. Concrete construction accounts for 8% of total global carbon dioxide emissions. Timber locks in carbon and transforms it into oxygen as trees grow.
A new WWF report shows that monitored forest-dwelling wildlife populations have shrunk by more than half over the past 50 years. The loss is primarily caused by human activity and is significantly greater in tropical forests.
A team of international scientists stated that the global trade of forest tree seeds may not be as safe as thought. The seeds can carry non-native pests and fungal pathogens which pose a threat to forest ecosystems worldwide.