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Russian wood imports are up dramatically through April despite Russia's war, subsequent tariffs, and other policies. And, imports of birch plywood through Vietnam—likely Russian birch plywood—are up 206%. Unlike plywood imported directly from Russia, imports of birch plywood from Vietnam are coming in duty-free. Wood exports were one of Russia's largest industries prior to the war. The data suggests that more needs to be done to stop imports of Russian wood products.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed a rule to re‑designate the northern long-eared bat as "endangered," triggering additional land-use restrictions that could hinder timber harvesting operations in 38 states. The Decorative Hardwoods Association joined the Hardwood Federation and several others in commenting on the proposed listing, highlighting how forestry helps bat populations. White-nose syndrome, a fungal disease, is what has devastated the northern long-eared bat.

Last week Decorative Hardwoods Association was in Nashville for our 101^st Annual Meeting where, among other things, we introduced our new AIA-approved continuing education program for architects and designers. I loved seeing our members and discussing the exciting developments and challenges in our industry. Please save the week of May 22, 2023, for our next annual…

On Earth Day, President Biden issued a new executive order impacting forests and the surrounding communities. According to the White House, the order is designed to "strengthen America's forests, boost wildfire resilience, and combat global warming." Using more forest products can help accomplish these goals by sustainably harvesting wood and storing that carbon for decades to come.

On April 8, the U.S. suspended normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus, immediately raising tariffs on Russian birch plywood to 50% in many cases. This and other restrictions are well deserved, but as the U.S. imported 567 million square feet of hardwood plywood from Russia last year, this large amount of plywood will be hard to replace particularly for the engineered wood flooring industry.