NEWS

The U.S. International Trade Commission, after voting to continue its investigation into U.S. imports of hardwood and decorative plywood from China, Indonesia, and Vietnam, has issued its preliminary report. The USITC listed several important preliminary findings that support the Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood.

While trade continues to dominate the headlines, DHA continues to promote decorative hardwoods. Most recently, we published an article in the Q3 edition of Surface and Panel Magazine that highlights the beauty and benefits of decorative hardwoods in homes. If you have ideas for future articles, please contact me.

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

Keith A. Christman, President

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) has published its preliminary report on the investigation into imports of hardwood and decorative plywood from China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The preliminary report builds on USITC's recent determination that there is a reasonable indication that a U.S. industry is materially injured by imports of hardwood and decorative plywood from China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. This is good news for our industry.
 

The American Hardwood Export Council’s American Hardwood Assured (AHA) platform is on track to launch on July 31. The free platform will help U.S. hardwood exporters quickly prepare standardized AHA statements for each shipment that confirm that there is negligible risk of illegal harvesting and deforestation.
 

DHA is consistently working to help expand the market for North American hardwoods. The Q3 edition of Surface and Panel Magazine capitalizes on the trend of wood drenching, featuring an article by DHA President Keith Christman that highlights the enduring beauty of hardwoods and the benefits of using decorative hardwoods in homes, including hardwood plywood, cabinets, engineered wood flooring, and furniture.
 

The European Parliament voted to reject the EU Deforestation Regulation's system that categorizes countries by deforestation risk. This marks yet another setback for the EUDR, sparking concerns that the law could be delayed again. The regulation was designed to ensure that products imported to or exported from EU markets do not contribute to global deforestation or forest degradation. 
 

The U.S. Forest Service will invest $80 million in Wood Innovation Grants to spur wood products manufacturing, expand active forest management, and accelerate energy innovation across the country's timber-producing communities.
 

Vietnam is preparing stricter penalties to crack down on trade fraud and the illegal transshipment of goods. The government has focused on tighter inspections of Chinese products in an attempt to comply with its new trade deal with the U.S. 
 

On July 7, President Trump signed an executive order extending the deadline for reciprocal tariffs to August 1. New rates were assigned in official letters, including 32% for Indonesia and 36% for Thailand and Cambodia. These reciprocal tariffs will not apply to the hardwood products awaiting the Section 232 National Security review, expected to be published any day now.
 

The Trump administration sent a letter to Canada stating that the tariff on Canadian goods will be set at 35% on August 1 and will be increased if Canada retaliates. We expect the exclusion for goods covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on trade to remain in place.
 

U.S. imports of hardwood plywood rebounded sharply in May, soaring by 43% vs. the previous month. Year-to-date imports of hardwood plywood have increased by 17% vs. 2024. Imports from Indonesia and Vietnam have grown by 65% and 27%, respectively.
 

For 35 years, the Hardwood Forestry Fund helped plant hardwood trees across the country and even overseas. HFF funded more than 5 million seedlings for 289 projects across 38 states and 4 countries, helping achieve the goal of expanding U.S. hardwood forests. This year, HFF ceased operations after distributing $190,000 to the Arbor Day Foundation and One Tree Planted to fund hardwood tree-planting projects aligned with HFF's mission.
 

U.S. lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill designed to help reduce wildfire risk while helping the lumber industry retool. The bill, known as the Supporting American Wood and Mill Infrastructure with Loans for Longevity (SAWMILL) Act, would allocate federal funds to support the retooling and modernization of the lumber industry's infrastructure. The legislation would also allow the processing of hazardous fuels from public lands.
 

Oklahoma state foresters were prepared for the emerald ash borer, an invasive pest that has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees in North America. The foresters are using tiny parasitoid wasps to help contain the spread of the pest, following the lead of foresters in eastern states.
 

In 2024, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources conducted an aerial survey of its forests, finding that more than half a million acres of trees across the state were sick, stressed, or already dead. While the 545,000 acres affected by tree mortality, defoliation, or disease comprise less than 1% of the forestland surveyed, the count shows an increase of nearly 30,000 acres from 2023 and exceeds the ten-year average of 519,000 acres.
 

What is the unusual new weapon discovered in the battle against the spotted lanternfly?