NEWS

The Forest Stewardship Council recently added 18 months to the time a Chinese bamboo plywood manufacturer is blocked from FSC certification. FSC stated that the manufacturer repeatedly made false claims on large volumes of bamboo plywood. The manufacturer was originally blocked in 2022 for making false claims.

We are still waiting for lawmakers to extend funding for farm bill programs before the end of the year. The farm bill includes financial support for forest management practices, export promotion programs, and incentives for landowners to maintain healthy forests. Those in the know are hopeful that a year-long extension will be attached to the continuing resolution that is currently under discussion.

The American Hardwood Export Council has intensified the process of developing a risk-based jurisdictional response to the EUDR over the last few months. Even though a one-year delay to the implementation of the law now seems inevitable, AHEC Europe has been pushing ahead with plans to deliver a risk-based mechanism for U.S. hardwoods that demonstrates their legality and the negligible risk of deforestation at the county level—throughout all 33 hardwood-producing states.

The European Union has agreed to postpone the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation until December 30, 2025. After the successful plenary vote this week, the final official step is publication in the EU journal before the end of the year. The EU has rejected the creation of a "no risk" category intended to provide flexibility for countries that practice sustainable forestry.

PHOTO © USFS CHRIS WARNER

Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the bipartisan Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act of 2024—unanimously. The bill will help fight international trade crimes by establishing a new task force within the Department of Justice dedicated to prosecuting trade fraud, duty evasion, transshipment, and other trade-related offenses.

PHOTO © U.S. CUSTOMS & BORDER PROTECTION