DHA eNews – DHA Supports EPA's Updated Formaldehyde Risk Calculation
It's hard to believe it’s already February! Our annual meeting, May 12–14 in Asheville, NC, is fast approaching. I encourage all DHA members and interested companies to register early to secure your spot. This meeting in Asheville offers the rare opportunity to tour Columbia Forest Products' Old Fort plant and to see the Biltmore Estate, widely viewed as the birthplace of modern forestry.
Experts will lead presentations and discussions on critical topics for our industry, including trade policy and tariffs, economic trends and predictions, the EU Deforestation Regulation, and policies and market conditions for cabinets.
Our featured speakers include Tara Bayke, Senior Economist at ITR Economics; Tim Brightbill, Attorney & Partner at Wiley; and Betsy Natz, CEO, Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association.
If you have questions or comments, contact me. I look forward to hearing from you.
Keith A. Christman, President
DHA officially commended the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its rigorous and transparent reassessment of formaldehyde risks in the agency's updated draft risk calculation. DHA supports EPA's revision of its formaldehyde inhalation risk evaluation to reflect the best available science, directly address recommendations from scientific peer reviewers, and align with the statutory mandates of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
In his recent article in Surface & Panel Magazine, DHA President Keith Christman outlines how trade policy brought numerous changes to our industry in 2025. We expect that additional policy changes and a critical trade case will lead to even more substantial changes in 2026 and, hopefully, dramatically reduce the presence of dumped and subsidized hardwood plywood in U.S. markets.
Nearly 200 organizations in our industry, including the Hardwood Federation, signed a letter to the EPA to advocate for modernizing the treatment of woody biomass under the national Renewable Fuel Standard so that liquid fuels derived from forest biomass could qualify under the mandate. This would provide an additional market for residuals.
New legislation will go into effect as early as March or April that allows only oak lumber with "at least 2.5 cm of the outer sapwood removed" into the EU. The new requirement appears to be in response to the increased risk of two-lined chestnut borer infestation in U.S. shipments of oak. According to the American Hardwood Export Council, veneer is exempt.
To help make new homes more affordable, the Department of Housing and Urban Development will wait another seven months before enforcing the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) as the minimum energy-efficiency standard for single-family and multifamily housing.
India and the EU announced the successful conclusion of negotiations for a free trade agreement, considered to be one of India's most strategic economic partnerships. The combined market is estimated at more than $24 trillion. The agreement is expected to create new opportunities for the nearly 2 billion people in India and the EU and to support increased trade and innovation.
Vietnam's exports of wood and wood products totaled nearly $1.7 billion in December 2025 alone, reaching a record $17.2 billion for the year, an increase of nearly 6%. Vietnam exported nearly $9.5 billion in wood and wood products to the U.S. in 2025, accounting for nearly 55% of the industry's total exports, an increase of 4.4% vs. 2024.
According to data from the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association, U.S. cabinet sales volume and dollar value fell by 13.2% and 6.5%, respectively, in 2025.
Amid the current housing affordability crisis, remodeling continues to increase its share of the residential construction market. Bathroom, kitchen, and whole-house remodeling are the three most common projects reported by NAHB remodelers.
According to high-end interior designer Leah Bolger, "Neutrals are being paired with natural materials like wood and marble in a way that feels much richer than the ‘all-white everything’ era." Wood cabinetry is "having a real moment again, especially when it's done in softer, warmer stains. It brings so much warmth and texture into a space, and when you pair it with beautiful natural stones, the whole look feels elevated but still very calm and livable."
The U.S. Forest Service and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission have entered into a $290 million Good Neighbor Agreement to support Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in Western North Carolina. The agreement, which is the largest of its kind for USFS, is designed to speed up recovery efforts, create new jobs, reduce overall costs, and strengthen the communities affected by the hurricane.
New Hampshire has reached a deal on the management of the 146,000-acre Connecticut Lakes Headwaters Working Forest, which accounts for 3% of the state's forests. The forest is privately owned but is under a conservation easement, which means the state has oversight of its management and can ensure it remains working timberland.
The use of traceable and responsibly sourced wood is a key part of the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. The Trentino-Alto Adige region is committed to supporting sustainable forest management. Wherever possible, facilities have been built with PEFC-certified Italian wood and recovered timber.
Why do trees need stress to survive?