NEWS

On September 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin pushed for a ban on the export of all untrimmed conifer and certain hardwood timber, beginning in 2022. Putin stated that this is necessary for "getting rid of the criminal component of the forest business and securing more comfortable work for responsible enterprises."

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The Dutch government ordered a Dutch company to stop all imports of tropical face plywood from Jiangsu High Hope Arser, one of the largest plywood exporters in China. The Environmental Investigation Agency writes, "This decision sets an important precedent in the effort to protect European markets from the import of illegal and high-risk tropical timber hidden behind complex supply chains."

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The U.S. has appealed the ruling of a WTO panel in August that stated that U.S. duties on Canadian softwood lumber broke global trading rules. "This flawed report confirms [that] ... the WTO dispute settlement system is being used to shield non-market practices and harm U.S. interests," said U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

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DHA President Kip Howlett addressed the U.S. International Trade Commission on October 6. He emphasized four key points about how U.S. trade agreements have affected the hardwood plywood, flooring, and wood products industries.

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ITC FTA Testimony (PDF)

Decorative Hardwoods Association (formerly HPVA) eNews Volume XIII, Issue XVIII: South Korea Issues Antidumping Ruling Against Vietnam | Vietnam's Exports Of Wood Products Rise | HMTX Sues U.S. Over Tariffs On Imports From China | WTO States That U.S. Violated Trade Rules With Tariffs On China | Columbia Announces PureBond Quality Award Winners