NEWS

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.

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. 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.

Read more: US and Canada Timber and Wood Product Market Report →

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. 

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.