DHA eNews - U.S. Moulding & Millwork Manufacturers Argue Case To ITC
Despite a healthy housing market, U.S. moulding and millwork manufacturers have lost market share to Chinese and Brazilian imports. The manufacturers have petitioned the International Trade Commission, alleging dumping and other unfair trade practices by these countries and seeking antidumping and countervailing duty orders as a remedy against these imports.
China, Canada, and other members of the World Trade Organization are backing an alternate trade dispute system against the U.S. position.
The EPA has published a final, new "Waters of the United States" (WOTUS) regulation. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler stated, "Our Navigable Waters Protection Rule will continue to ensure America's water protection . . . while giving states and tribes the flexibility and certainty to manage their waters in ways that best protect their natural resources and local communities."
HUD has recommended modernizing codes to allow for more optimal use of manufactured housing in urban areas. The changes include additional requirements for the installation of carbon monoxide alarms and updating HUD's formaldehyde emission requirements to align with EPA TSCA VI regulations.
The two leading trends are fumed wood flooring with strong, rich color and grain, and bleached and blanched wood where the natural wood grain is clearly visible.
Vance Bell, chairman and CEO of Shaw Industries, was recognized as one of Atlanta's top executives for his leadership in helping transform Shaw from the world's largest carpet manufacturer to one of the world's largest flooring providers.
Charles Eden, 71, of Eugene, Oregon, has passed away. He was a retired Columbia Forest Products sales manager.
Order your copy of the comprehensive American National Standard for Hardwood and Decorative Plywood today! ANSI/HPVA HP-1-2016 details specific requirements for all face, back, and inner ply grades and for formaldehyde emissions, moisture content, grade marking, and more.
President Trump announced that the U.S. will join the initiative to plant one trillion trees that was launched at the World Economic Forum. The initiative resulted from a statement made by an ecologist last year that planting 1.2 trillion trees could effectively "cancel out" the last decade of global carbon emissions.
Source: Ecosystem Marketplace
A recent EPA report notes that U.S. forests absorb all the carbon emissions from the commercial and residential sectors each year.
Australia's bushfires may have spewed as much as two-thirds of the country's annual carbon dioxide emissions in just the past three months. Because of the recent drought, the ability of Australia's forests to regrow and counter carbon dioxide is now limited.
The modern world has been built with concrete and steel, two materials that are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. New timber buildings, however, could store from 10 million to 700 million tons of carbon per year.
Many believe that there is significant room for improvement in green building standards, as some experts question the accuracy of the certification process. "A building that’s LEED Gold won’t necessarily perform to those standards in the field," said architect Caitlin Turski Watson.
Of the ten most important changes in forests over the past decade, the most critical is that global primary forest loss remains high. Tropical forests have, by far, been the hardest hit: Brazil, Indonesia, and the Congo were cited as the three countries with the greatest forest loss over the past three years.
The Environmental Investigation Agency reports that China will amend its Forest Law to include a national ban on buying, processing, or transporting illegally sourced timber. China is the world's largest importer of wood and the world's largest exporter of wood-based products. Several organizations have estimated that 15-30% of all timber traded globally has been illegally harvested.
The idea is that slash-and-burn farmers will care for the land if they own it. Now, many simply abandon depleted fields and carve out new fields from forestland.
A human rights organization in Mexico is asking authorities to investigate the disappearance of Homero Gomez, an activist who manages a monarch butterfly sanctuary in western Mexico. The case may be linked to illegal logging in the area.
A new technology that employs dielectric heating and radiofrequency energy to destroy destructive pests in wood products is closer to commercialization. A recent demonstration at Penn State, attended by regulatory and wood products industry professionals from the U.S. and Canada, validated both the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of the new technology.