NEWS

DHA continuously promotes decorative hardwoods and has collaborated with partners to develop compelling research to support powerful marketing claims. Our recent article in Surface & Panel Magazine outlines how decorative hardwoods are both sustainable and a deforestation-free choice. Our colleagues at the American Hardwood Export Council developed the American Hardwood Assured program that demonstrates that U.S. hardwoods are essentially deforestation-free, ironically inspired by the EU Deforestation Regulation.

DHA has also created a unique opportunity for members to demonstrate the significant environmental benefits of decorative hardwoods. As a result of a partnership with the National Hardwood Lumber Association and the U.S. Forest Service, DHA members can use USFS-funded assistance to develop climate and other life cycle inventory data for your products, just as we did for engineered wood flooring, showing that alternatives like vinyl have six times the global warming potential.

As new duties have been levied on imports of hardwood plywood from Vietnam, Indonesia, and China, it appears that direct imports from Russia are increasing to compensate for the indirect route through Vietnam. The story below highlights the links between Russian birch plywood and imports from Asia.

If you have questions or comments, contact me. I look forward to hearing from you.

Keith A. Christman, President

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.

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.

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.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a major restructuring of the U.S. Forest Service, beginning with moving USFS national headquarters from Washington, DC, to Salt Lake City, UT. USDA leaders said the goal of the move is to improve mission delivery, reduce bureaucracy, and strengthen recruitment by shifting staff and decision-making authority westward.

The Environmental Protection Agency has issued its final rule implementing the Renewable Fuel Standard, a volumetric mandate for liquid fuels under the Energy Independence and Security Act, which currently disqualifies fuels derived from woody biomass, limiting market opportunities for wood residuals. Our industry will continue to push to expand eligibility to fuels derived from standing timber on private lands.

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.

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.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it will guarantee $115.2 million across eight states to ensure sawmills and other wood processing facilities have the necessary funding to establish, reopen, expand, or improve operations. The Timber Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program will also fund projects to improve forest health.

The volume of cabinets sold in January and February fell by nearly 13% vs. last year. Dollar sales dropped by more than 10%. The continuing decline suggests that the 25% Section 232 tariffs were not enough to turn around the U.S. cabinet industry. The planned increase to 50% tariffs, originally scheduled for January, was paused by the Trump administration.

In March, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture hosted an inbound trade mission focused on forest products, inviting buyers from India and Vietnam to meet with companies in the state's log and lumber industry.

Researchers have published a new study on how to use wood to reduce global warming. Their findings showed that combining forestry with the cascading use of wood products can play a crucial role in achieving climate neutrality targets. This strategy provides more resilient and long-term climate benefits than leaving forests unharvested.

A federal district court overturned four Trump-era amendments to the Endangered Species Act, restoring the stricter pre-2019 framework. The court found that the amendments, particularly the narrowed definition of "adverse modification" and the acceptance of mitigation measures without specific implementation plans, conflicted with the law and weakened safeguards. The Trump administration has started a new rulemaking process.

Just how old are most U.S. homes?