DHA® eNews - U.S. Imports Of Hardwood Plywood Fall
The Department of Commerce has initiated an anti-dumping investigation of wood cabinets and vanities imported from China to determine if they are being dumped into the U.S. market. This action is in response to a petition filed by the American Kitchen Cabinet Alliance on March 6. The value of wood cabinets, vanities, and related components imported from China in 2018 was approximately $4.4 billion. For more details, see the presentations to the ITC.
The volume of U.S. imports of hardwood plywood declined by 5% in December and fell a total of 10% in 2018. December was the strongest month for Chinese imports, which increased by 62% from November. Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Cambodia all showed gains of more than 50% in 2018, replacing market share previously held by China.
U.S. hardwood exports to China were $1.893 billion last year, a decline of 10.4%, as U.S. hardwood exports to Southeast Asia reached a new record, growing by 9.6% to $363.8 million.
Source: American Hardwood Export Council
Kitchen cabinet designers shared color and style trends that we can expect to see more of in 2019. Highlighted trends in wood include alder, maple, and cherry.
Experts point out that millennials spend more than any other group when remodeling kitchens and bathrooms. What's essential to millennials: incorporating technology, kitchens with "multiple personalities" that serve multiple uses, and modern, open design.
The New York-Presbyterian David H. Koch Center opened in 2018 with the goal of promoting physical health and emotional wellbeing. The designers of the medical facility chose Danzer’s engineered true-species Linea Oak veneer for numerous wall, ceiling, and casegood surfaces in public areas and in patient recovery rooms.
Be an early bird and save! Register now to save $275 on the Decorative Hardwoods Association® 2019 Spring Conference and 98th Annual Meeting. Experts will discuss trade enforcement, design trends, and more from May 5 - 7. Our luxurious lodgings are in Santa Rosa, CA, within easy reach of 400 wineries and great golf.
The U.S. Green Building Council has designed a new LEED pilot credit designed to decrease the risk of illegally harvested wood entering the supply chain. The credit was developed by a group led by representatives of the Environmental Investigation Agency and the World Wildlife Fund.
A new report from EIA shows how illegally logged African timber becomes "eco-friendly," deceiving U.S. customers. An undercover investigation revealed the inner workings of the Dejia Group, a timber conglomerate controlled by Chinese mogul Xu Gong De. EIA claims that the conglomerate procured vast forests through corrupt means that resulted in massive overharvesting and the export of $80 million worth of logs in four years.
Ten European companies may be importing millions of dollars of illegal timber. These companies, based in France, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Poland, have been importing from Industrie Forestière du Congo (IFCO), a logging company that has repeatedly broken forest laws in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
On March 22, EPA's new requirements under the TSCA Title VI Formaldehyde Emissions Standards for Composite Wood Products go into effect: any seller, supplier, manufacturer, or importer of composite wood products must receive third-party certification before selling those products in the U.S. The EPA rule is almost identical to that of the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced that it will align its standards for formaldehyde emissions with those of the EPA.
On March 20, EPA published a list of 40 chemicals that will go through a prioritization process. Formaldehyde was included in the list of 20 chemicals in the "high-priority" category. Each of these 20 chemicals will undergo a three-year risk evaluation process.
Sources: Chemistry World, American Chemistry Council
Marking the 2019 International Day of Forests, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization launched new forestry education initiatives aimed at raising awareness among young people about forest sustainability and conservation.