NEWS

Decorative Hardwoods Association® (formerly HPVA) eNews Volume XII, Issue V: U.S. Imports Of Vietnamese Hardwood Plywood Surge As Their Prices Plummet | Kitchen Cabinet Alliance Files Suit Against China | Contrary To Government Claims, Myanmar Teak Is Illegal | Register Now For The Decorative Hardwoods Association 98th Annual Meeting

The American Kitchen Cabinet Alliance, comprised of domestic cabinet manufacturers, has filed a trade case addressing China’s manipulation and unfair trade practices at the Department of Commerce and International Trade Commission. Chinese exports of kitchen cabinets into the U.S. market are up by more than 75 percent since 2015 and have injured the domestic industry.

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A new review of wood dust health studies confirms the reasons for continuing the occupational limit of five milligrams per cubic meter of inhalable dust.

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Wood Dust Occupational Limit Value (PDF)

After a two-year undercover investigation, the Environmental Investigation Agency has shown that a "Burmese teak kingpin" conspired with and bribed senior military and government officials throughout Myanmar. He created a corrupt system of fraudulent trade that ran inside and outside the Myanmar Timber Enterprise, a state-owned company that has a monopoly on the country's logging and timber trade.

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U.S. imports of hardwood plywood from Vietnam and Indonesia increased as imports from China fell by 50,000 to 100,000 cubic meters per month. Vietnam's export volume rose by 25,000 cubic meters per month but their prices into the U.S. dropped below the world average for the first time.

There are now 867 direct foreign investment companies operating in the wood industry in Vietnam, with total capital of $5.5 billion. 63% are funded by investors from China, South Korea, and Japan.