NEWS

The U.S. Secretary of Commerce has been instructed, by an executive order issued March 1, to determine how imports of wood products, including timber, lumber, and their derivative products, affect national security. Comments are due by April 1. 

EPA recently announced that it will work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to solicit public input and write a new regulation for the waters of the U.S. (WOTUS). The goal is to cut red tape, lower the cost of permits, and reduce the cost of doing business while protecting navigable waters from pollution. 

This month, EPA announced 31 deregulatory actions designed to help improve the economy and streamline regulations. The actions include a wide range of climate restrictions, particulate matter rules, and reconsidering barriers to prescribed burns to prevent wildfires.

Read more:  EPA Launches Biggest Deregulatory Action in U.S. History →

On March 12, the European Union announced proposed retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products. The list of products targeted by the EU is extensive and includes many wood products: lumber, veneer, moulding, flooring, plywood, OSB, casks, and more. After a consultation period this month, these tariffs will go into effect in April. Stakeholders, including U.S. manufacturers, are encouraged to comment online.
 

DHA sent an official letter to the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury supporting a ban on all products manufactured from Russian wood, whether imported from Russia or a third country, after comments by the Trump administration suggesting the possibility of new sanctions on Russia. Russian wood not only funds the war in Ukraine but also supplies illegally and unsustainably harvested wood to countries like China, Vietnam, and Indonesia.