NEWS

The U.S. 2026 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers states that Canada is failing to prevent goods made with forced labor from entering its market. This finding comes as the U.S. pursues a Section 301 investigation that includes Canada and suggests the U.S. may ultimately find against Canada.

A recent editorial in Furniture Today outlined how the Trump administration has laid the foundation for rebuilding its tariff power, this time on a stronger legal footing, and how this will impact those in the furniture business. On March 11, the U.S. Trade Representative launched Section 301 investigations into 16 economies, including China, the EU, Vietnam, Mexico, and Indonesia, which supply much of the world's furniture.

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, U.S. imports of Russian birch plywood reached 11,300 cubic meters in February, up by 42% vs. January. The U.S. is still one of Russia's largest export markets for plywood. Russian oligarchs aligned with Putin are reported to be the primary beneficiaries, likely helping fund Russian war efforts.

PHOTO © BRIAN E KUSHNER

Thanks to our partnership with USFS, DHA members can use USFS-funded assistance to develop climate and other life cycle inventory data for your products. This data is the backbone of environmental product declarations, often requested by architects and designers when deciding which products to specify. Please contact us if you are interested in participating.

PHOTO © Timber Products

In our recent article for Surface & Panel Magazine, DHA demonstrated how U.S. hardwood stands apart in the global marketplace as a responsibly sourced, environmentally sound material. We also highlighted American Hardwood Assured's 2024 Deforestation-Risk Assessment Annual Summary Report, which introduced one of the most sophisticated and transparent risk-screening systems in the global wood products sector.