NEWS

On July 7, President Trump signed an executive order extending the deadline for reciprocal tariffs to August 1. New rates were assigned in official letters, including 36% for Thailand and Cambodia. More recently, trade deals have been struck with Japan (15%) and Indonesia (19%). Indonesian products that contain a significant amount of content from other countries, particularly China, will face a higher rate of 40%.

On July 7, President Trump sent an initial batch of letters to other nations informing them of new tariff rates—but those tariffs won't go into effect until August 1. The administration will notify countries of the tariff rate they will pay to do business in the U.S., essentially setting aside efforts to broker trade deals with dozens of other nations.

Which rainforests are located in the U.S., and where are they?

Answer: The heart of the Southern Appalachian rainforest is located in southwestern Virginia and southwestern North Carolina, the Olympic is in the Pacific Northwest, and the Tongass is in southern Alaska. El Yunque, the only true tropical rainforest, is in Puerto Rico. 

PHOTO © Amy Li, U.S. Forest Service

Comments are due on July 21 on the introduction of genetically engineered, blight-resistant chestnut trees. The open comment period is the final step in the process of bringing the American chestnut tree back to northeastern forests, scientists say. Researchers began the process by experimenting with genetic engineering to introduce resistance to blight. The first genetically engineered trees were planted in field trials in 2006.

DHA announced the kickoff of the process of revising the industry consensus standard for engineered wood flooring, ANSI/HPVA EF-2020. This is part of the five-year review process required for the ANSI standard, which includes requirements for grading, bond line, moisture content, machining, formaldehyde emissions, and much more.