September 19, 2019

DHA eNews - Canadian Formaldehyde Regulations Draw Comments

Canadian Formaldehyde Regulations Draw Comments

Decorative Hardwoods Association and HPVA Laboratories® submitted comments on the draft Canadian Composite Wood Rule, encouraging harmonization with EPA TSCA VI testing and certification requirements. DHA emphasized the importance of avoiding creating an unintentional "dumping ground" in Canada for non-compliant products by instituting a different system. The Composite Panel Association also filed comments.

 

Photo © HPVA Laboratories®

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EPA Repeals WOTUS Rule

In a positive development that resolves years of uncertainty over where federal jurisdiction begins and ends, EPA rescinded the Obama-era "Waters of the U.S.” rule on September 12. In August, the U.S. District Court for Georgia found that the substance of the rule violates the Clean Water Act.

The Global Plywood Industry Is Under Stress

The global plywood industry has been negatively affected by the U.S.-China trade war and the slowdown of China's economy. China still uses most of the world's plywood, accounting for 64% of total consumption with 101 million cubic meters. China's consumption is six times higher than the U.S., which is the world's second-largest consumer of plywood at 16 million cubic meters.

Collapse Of Log Prices In China Negatively Impacts New Zealand

The price of New Zealand logs shipped to China has collapsed. As a result, logs from New Zealand - mostly radiata pine - are still sitting at Chinese ports instead of being purchased and shipped to construction projects inland. Log prices are down by 15% on a take it or leave it basis.

Vietnam's Forestry Exports Up 18.6%

Vietnam's exports of timber products brought in US$7.08 billion in the first eight months of 2019. Key destinations for Vietnam's forestry exports are the U.S., Japan, the EU, China, and the Republic of Korea. Exports to the U.S. were primarily interior wood products, construction wood, and plywood.

VIDEO: 20 Amazing Wood Products

This video, showcasing twenty fascinating wood products, has been watched nearly 17 million times since it was introduced in February 2018. See why for yourself! 

Craftsman's Challenge Winners Show Skills

Competition in the 2019 Veneer Tech Craftsman’s Challenge was particularly strong this year, with more than 120 entries that demonstrated skillful, creative work with veneer. The grand prize winner: Kirk Coryn of Kirk Kreations, who submitted an Art Nouveau-style bed with incredible detail in veneer marquetry.

What Today's Prospective Home Buyers Want

Today's home buyers are looking for open floor plans, neutral colors, and hardwood floors. Buyers prefer hardwood floors throughout the home and many seek lighter wood finishes such as light walnut or white oak.

Australian Ads Change Public Opinion On Forestry & Wood

About 25 percent of Australians have already seen The Ultimate Renewable™ campaign, run by Forest and Wood Products Australia. Research shows the campaign is positively changing people's opinions about forestry and wood.

B.C. Forests Under Attack From Pests

Foresters in British Columbia are closely monitoring an outbreak of spruce beetles in the northeast. Douglas fir beetles, the spruce bud worm, and more pests are wreaking havoc in the Cariboo forests around Williams Lake.

Fight Against Illegal Logging Falters In The Amazon

IBAMA has uncovered elaborate fraud schemes involving the theft and clearing of federal lands. The pace of destruction of the rain forest has increased by 60% this year. Brazil's president, Jair Bolsonaro, made no secret of his plans to roll back environmental protections.

Destruction Of The Ecuadoran Chocó Forest

A new analysis from the Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project reports that 61% - a total of 4.4 million acres - of the Ecuadoran Chocó has been destroyed. One-fifth of the loss occurred between 2000 and 2018. The Chocó region is considered a biodiversity hotspot that is among the richest regions for plants in the western hemisphere.

U.S. Hardwood Exports To Europe Fall
Canadian Housing Starts Trend Up In August
30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage Drops To 3-Year Low
Mortgage Delinquencies Down In June
LEED-Certified Homes On The Rise
50 Floundering Housing Markets
VIDEO: Manufacturing Plywood, Then & Now
Auburn University Professor Patents Soy Adhesive For Particleboard
A Fire Lookout's Perspective: What's Lost In The Transition To Technology

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