NEWS

Vietnam suspects that the surge in its plywood exports to the U.S. is due to Chinese firms seeking to circumvent antidumping and countervailing duties and "Trump tariffs" by shipping Chinese-made plywood through Vietnam. In Q1, plywood exports from Vietnam to the U.S. rose 95% to $47 million. Imports from China into Vietnam grew 37% in the same period to $61 million, accounting for 84% of all plywood imports. Last year, plywood exports from Vietnam to the U.S.

AHEC reports that the Chinese government will impose additional tariffs of 5% and 10% on a number of U.S. wood products exported to China. The additional tariffs become effective September 1 and December 15.

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The EPA recently proposed minor amendments to the 2004 National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollution (NESHAP) for Plywood and Composite Wood Products to enhance its effectiveness. Comments are due in October.

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Decorative Hardwoods Association (formerly HPVA) eNews Volume XII, Issue XVI: Easy Rider 2019: Newron Builds High-Performance Wooden Electric Motorcycle | U.S. Cabinetmakers Applaud Action On Chinese Imports | China Imports More Logs From NZ, AU, CZ | U.S. Exports Of Hardwood Fall | Open For Comment: American National Standard For Engineered Wood Flooring

The EPA TSCA Title VI final rule for formaldehyde emissions for composite wood products has been published in the Federal Register and is now official. The rule was changed to address technical issues raised by stakeholders - including those raised by HPVA Laboratories® (soon to be Capital Testing). The changes mean that EPA TSCA Title VI now aligns better with CARB requirements and will help streamline compliance programs.