NEWS

In response to China's decision to impose duties on U.S. goods, the U.S. Trade Representative proposed maintaining the original $34 billion action and the proposed $16 billion action, and to take further action of an additional 10% ad valorem duty on Chinese products with an annual trade value of approximately $200 billion.

The Coalition for Fair Trade of Hardwood Plywood filed a request that the Department of Commerce issue a circumvention determination that Chinese radiata pine and pine hardwood and decorative plywood imports suitable for interior/decorative use are circumventing anti-dumping and countervailing duties orders, as later-developed merchandise or having been altered in minor ways to circumvent the new AD/CVD rates.

Environmentalists and industry continue to debate the health risks of formaldehyde as some media outlets report that the EPA is sitting on warnings about the cancer-causing chemical.

Resources:

Decorative Hardwoods Association® (formerly HPVA) eNews Volume XI, Issue XII: China’s Log Imports Reverse Trend | EPA Suspends Ecolabeling Sustainability Claims On Wood Products | Indonesia, Malaysia Ban Log Exports To Protect Domestic Industry | The Consequences Of A Trade War In North America | HPVA Laboratories® Certifies Great Lakes Veneer

In December 2016, EPA suspended all recommendations of ecolabels or certifications for lumber and wood, pending review. On Tuesday, EPA announced that the lumber/wood category will be removed entirely from the recommendations of specifications, standards, and ecolabels for federal purchasing - the recommendations intended to help federal buyers identify and procure environmentally sustainable products and services.