NEWS

Imports of hardwood plywood and multilayered wood flooring are still slower than last year's frantic pace. This slowdown is across nearly all countries, suggesting importers are working off high inventories.

In addition to attending DHA's Annual Meeting, all DHA members can participate in our online policy meetings. DHA and the Hardwood Federation will host a webinar on Tuesday, May 9, at 1 pm ET to discuss the Hardwood Federation's upcoming Congressional Fly-In. We encourage you to join us for the webinar and the fly-in.

If you have questions or comments, contact me. I look forward to hearing from you.

Keith A. Christman, President
Decorative Hardwoods Association

Last year, U.S. imports of hardwood plywood grew by 12% in value to more than $2.1 billion. This year-to-date through February, total imports have declined by 66% in volume and 68% in value vs. the same period last year. U.S. imports from most countries are down, except for those from Canada and Ecuador.

After increasing by 11% in 2022, U.S. imports of multilayered wood flooring through February are down by more than 27% in volume vs. the same period last year. The value of imports from nearly all countries declined, with one notable exception: the volume of imports from Vietnam remained the same. 

On Tuesday, May 9, at 1 pm ET, DHA will host an information session about the upcoming Hardwood Federation Congressional Fly-In. All DHA members are welcome. During the Congressional Fly-In on June 13, 14, and 15, Hardwood Federation members, including DHA leadership and members, will advocate for legislative priorities—like the farm bill—with members of Congress and their staff.

It was expected, but still disappointing for landowners and housing interest groups: President Biden vetoed a congressional resolution to rescind the waters of the U.S. rule change, despite bipartisan disapproval in both the House of Representatives and Senate. However, the Supreme Court may act to limit regulation under WOTUS.

The Biden administration will invest nearly $34 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law into strengthening the wood products industry. “Healthy forests depend on a healthy forest products industry . . . it is more important than ever to invest in sustainable forest management across all lands,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

The Canadian Institute of Forestry is "pleased the federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Canada's forests in the 2023 budget." That's a commitment to invest nearly $370 million over three years in a wide range of forestry initiatives that will support jobs across Canada, including those in rural and remote communities.

President Biden signed the $1 trillion infrastructure bill, but there aren't enough qualified people to do the work. Union officials and business leaders have long called for large-scale investment in infrastructure, but in February, the number of construction job openings rose by 129,000 even as hiring fell by 18,000.

DHA member Roseburg Forest Products announced a planned investment of $700 million over the next four years to upgrade and expand its manufacturing operations in Southern Oregon. The investment includes the creation of two new, state-of-the-art manufacturing plants, and technological improvements and upgrades at existing plants.

On Wednesday, April 26, at 12 pm ET, join Capital Testing and the Floor Covering Institute for the second part of the Core and Construction flooring evaluation webinar series. Experts Josh Hosen and Chris Palumbo will discuss dimensional tolerance evaluations: cup, bow, crook, twist, and more.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine caused more people to burn wood for energy, reducing the supply of raw materials for Europe's wood-based panel industry. These shortages are making it tough for some factories to maintain normal production.

Marc Adams, Ana Rothman, and William Samson have been chosen to judge this year's Veneer Tech Craftsman’s Challenge. All entries for this year's competition are due by Friday, June 9.

Weyerhaeuser plans to increase lumber production in the upcoming years. At the same time, it has created a new unit to sell carbon offsets based on its forestland. The company expects the new unit to generate $100 million per year in profit by 2026.

The EU's new sanctions package aims to curb imports of illegal timber, including the tactic of mislabeling the country of origin, after reports that Russian birch plywood is being imported into the European Union from China.

Vietnam's first-quarter wood products exports dropped by more than 28% to $2.88 billion vs. the same period last year, said the Vietnam Association of Timber and Forestry Products. Global consumers are spending less due to inflation and the risk of recession, causing lower orders.

Earlier this month, DHA hosted a webinar with the American Hardwood Export Council about the upcoming EU deforestation regulations, which will pose significant challenges for U.S. exporters. Click below to watch the recording.

In 2021, the European Commission published a draft regulation with the goal of ending global deforestation caused by the EU. In December, the EU reached an agreement on the new regulation. ATIBT provided an analysis and comparison of the EUDR and EUTR, stating, "With the EUDR, we are witnessing a shift in scale from combating illegality to eradicating deforestation and forest degradation."

In Washington State, small tree farmers are battling the state's Forest Practices Board, which controls logging on private land. About 5,000 tree farmers are affected by regulations requiring larger buffers around streams. The Washington Farm Forestry Association has spent eight years demonstrating that well-managed 50- to 75-foot buffers, rather than the state-required 90- to 200-foot buffers, will be just as effective at protecting fish and water while allowing owners of forestland more and better use of their land.

A new study of hardwood forests in Eastern North America shows that as temperatures have risen, the growing period has increased by about one month over the past century. An analysis of changes in leaf patterns in Northwest Ohio showed a clear connection between increased warming during winter and spring and an extended period of tree growth.

A major German developer will install the first commercial turbine tower made of laminated wood later this year to test the model for use in future wind farms. The tower, including the blades, will reach nearly 500 feet tall. The manufacturer says that laminated wood is stronger than steel in proportion to its weight, meaning that they can build lighter towers with less expensive reinforcements.

The world's largest wooden superyacht is now on the market. The eye-catching 50-meter yacht sports a superstructure of teak with a high-gloss clear coat finish.

What is the most expensive hardwood in the world and what it is used for?