NEWS

The U.S. Court of International Trade upheld the Department of Commerce's reversal, where Commerce found that the hardwood plywood, decorative plywood, and veneer panels imported by Shelter Forest International Acquisition did not dodge antidumping and countervailing duty orders issued by Commerce in January 2018. The decision affirms the government's determination that the goods were being sold before the new duties kicked in.

Russia's ban on exports of softwood and high-value hardwood logs is expected to have a significant impact on the global market, starting with the approximately 4,000 companies that will no longer be able to import these logs from Russia. The ban begins on January 1, 2022.

The European Union has proposed a carbon tax on imports as part of an aggressive plan to address climate change. The tax could be a way to level the playing field on carbon emissions. Canada and the U.S. may be the next to consider carbon tariffs.

Recent stories and information about our industry include:

• Unemployment has dropped, but the shortage of workers continues
• How the pandemic will influence the future of home design
• Construction industry proves resilient, despite high prices and COVID
• The process for developing new vaccines for variants
• Much-needed coronavirus humor

See the DHA coronavirus news and resources pages for more updates.

Find reputable suppliers of veneer, hardwood plywood, engineered wood flooring, machinery, and more in the free Decorative Hardwoods Association Where to Buy membership directory. Get your copy today!

To meet a new, more ambitious target for carbon removals, Europe will need to increase the amount of carbon stored by its forests and wetlands. EU's climate chief says that the capacity of European forests to absorb carbon dioxide "has been shrinking." The EU plan calls for planting 3 billion trees in cities and in lands currently used for agriculture.

Source: BNN Bloomberg

The continental U.S. boasts nearly 1.4 trillion live trees on more than 635 million acres of forestland. The total volume of trees grown across the U.S. increased by 50% from 1953 to 2011.

On July 18, a 22-year-old tree planter set a new world record by planting 23,060 trees in 24 hours straight, an average of one tree every 3.75 seconds.

As climate change and gaps in forest management result in more intense and deadly wildfires, fire crews are turning to artificial intelligence and new technologies to help save more forestland and to use their scarce resources more efficiently.

Scientists are raising the alarm about the energy policies of four nations: China, Russia, Brazil, and Australia, whose climate targets could lead to "disastrous" global warming. The four countries have energy policies that are associated with an increase in atmospheric temperatures of five degrees Celsius.

After a year-long investigation, an environmental group has accused IKEA of using illegally logged Russian pine to make children's furniture. The group states that wood was sourced from companies guilty of illegally logging about 4 million trees in the climate-critical forests of Siberia over the past decade.

Peru will launch a new multi-sector strategy to fight illegal logging, after much debate and planning. The national strategy is designed to reduce trade in illegal timber and to protect the rights of people involved in the sustainable use, conservation, and protection of forests.

The Biden administration has proposed restoring more than 3 million acres of northern spotted owl habitat, reversing a rule made at the tail end of the Trump administration. The Pacific Northwest, home of the owl, has long been a symbol of the fight between environmentalists and loggers.

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted 4-3 to reclassify the marbled murrelet from "threatened" to "endangered" under Oregon’s Endangered Species Act. However, data shows that populations are stable - if not growing - and habitat is increasing on public lands.

Robin Hood lived in Sherwood Forest - as did which U.S. president?