NEWS

Where and what is the largest known living organism in the world?

Answer: Pando in Utah. At first glance, visitors may mistake it for a forest of many trees, but it's actually a clonal colony of an individual male quaking aspen—a single living organism.

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U.S. imports of hardwood flooring slowed in April, down 29% from strong performance in March. Imports from most countries fell, with imports from Indonesia and Malaysia down by more than 33% and China and Brazil down by 20%. Total imports, however, are still up 11% year-to-date, and imports from Indonesia are tracking at more than double last year's.

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Vietnam's exports of wood and wood products in June were estimated at $1.03 billion, down 18.1% vs. June 2021. In the first six months of this year, the export value of wood and wood products reached an estimated $8.5 billion, an increase of 2.8% vs. last year. Wood products exports comprised an estimated $6.14 billion of that amount, down 4.6% vs. last year.

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A federal court has rejected a Trump-era rule that limited the definition of "critical habitat" to areas that currently support protected species, under the Endangered Species Act. This adds legal backing to the Biden administration's decision to withdraw the rule. Now, federal agencies can include areas that can support—but are not occupied by—protected species as "critical habitat."

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In May, the U.S. Trade Representative notified DHA that the Biden administration was considering ending some Section 301 tariffs, including the 25% tariffs on imports of hardwood plywood and multilayered wood flooring from China. Broader review of the tariffs on China is required by law after four years, but the Biden administration is also considering removing some tariffs to reduce inflation.