Fair Trade: Commerce Initiates Anti-Circumvention Inquiry, Tariffs Announced
In response to a request from the Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood, the U.S. Department of Commerce will initiate an anti-circumvention inquiry to determine whether plywood with face and back veneers of radiata or agathis pine is circumventing the antidumping and countervailing duties on hardwood plywood products from China. Legislators in Wisconsin and West Virginia introduced a bipartisan bill that would give the Commerce Department the flexibility it needs to take stronger actions and would improve the outcomes of anti-circumvention petitions.
President Trump has announced tariffs on $200 billion in imports from China, effective September 24.
SOURCE: DECORATIVE HARDWOODS ASSOCIATION®
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NAFTA: U.S., Canada Resume Trade Talks
U.S. and Canadian negotiators are pushing for a deal this week. Key issues that need to be resolved include dispute panels, dairy, cross-border shipping, pharmaceuticals, and intellectual property.
SOURCE: FINANCIAL POST
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China To Retaliate Against U.S. Tariffs
The Chinese government has committed to retaliating against U.S. tariffs in "equal scale and equal strength," announcing retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports of hardwood logs, lumber, and more. Experts outline three more ways Beijing could strike back at Washington.
SOURCE: DECORATIVE HARDWOODS ASSOCIATION®
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WFCA Supports U.S. Flooring Tariffs
The World Floor Covering Association concluded that a majority of its flooring dealer and contractor members support the Trump administration's proposal to impose tariffs on Chinese flooring.
SOURCE: FLOOR DAILY
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Point-Counterpoint Of Softwood Lumber Tariffs
Experts detail their arguments on why tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber do or do not hurt U.S. home builders.
SOURCE: LBM JOURNAL
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HPVA Laboratories Awards Certification To Husky Plywood
HPVA Laboratories® has awarded EPA TSCA Title VI certification for formaldehyde emissions to the Husky Plywood hardwood plywood manufacturing facility in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec.
SOURCE: HPVA LABORATORIES® (SOON TO BE CAPITAL TESTING). PHOTO © HPVA LABORATORIES
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Columbia Announces Seventh Annual PureBond Winners
The nine 2018 Columbia Forest Products PureBond® winners demonstrated exceptional design and craftsmanship using PureBond® hardwood plywood. Kip Howlett, Ang Schramm, Dr. Katherine Swank, and Chip Wade judged this year's competition.
SOURCE: BUSINESS INSIDER
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HPVA Laboratories Recommends Continued Certification Of Armstrong Hardwood Products
HPVA Laboratories® continues to provide formaldehyde emissions certification of composite wood products for compliance with the EPA TSCA Title VI. The Armstrong Hardwood Products manufacturing facility in Somerset, Kentucky was once again recommended for continued certification following a surveillance audit that ensures ongoing compliance with quality management system and quality control testing requirements.
SOURCE: HPVA LABORATORIES® (SOON TO BE CAPITAL TESTING)
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Send In Your Tree-Planting Requests!
Attention state foresters: Submit your requests for funding to the Hardwood Forestry Fund no later than September 30. Email or call Eva Mentel at 703-435-2900, option 4, for more information.
SOURCE: HARDWOOD FORESTRY FUND
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Sherwin-Williams Reveals Color Of The Year; Consumers Abandon White Kitchens
The Sherwin-Williams color of the year, cavern clay, is a warm, earthy hue that reflects the warmth of the desert. Per Canadian interior designer Kathy Davy, fall trends include "blonde wood, pastels, but very dusty pastels" with "a deeper, almost grey undertone, beautiful greens and soft pinks that really transform the space into a more light and airy feeling. It's very Nordic, very Scandinavian."
Following this trend, a recent survey of prospective home buyers showed that buyers prefer natural wood kitchen cabinets and hardwood floors.
SOURCE: DECORATIVE HARDWOODS ASSOCIATION®. PHOTO © SHERWIN-WILLIAMS
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The Solution To Housing's Labor Shortage
Leveraging improved technology and employing more women could fix the labor shortage in the construction industry.
SOURCE: BUILDER
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Home Values Reach 9% Above Peak
A Zillow report shows that home values are 8.7% higher than during the peak of the housing bubble. The West and Southwest show the strongest increases. However, home values in many markets have not yet recovered.
SOURCE: BUILDER
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Home Searches Suggest More Homeowners May Leave High-Tax Cities
According to Redfin's most recent Migration Report, more homeowners are expected to leave expensive, high-tax coastal cities for markets like Phoenix, Las Vegas and Miami, where taxes are lower and housing is more affordable.
SOURCE: BUILDER
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1.2 Million Homes Will Be Built In Highest-Risk Areas
Experts forecast that an additional 1.2 million new homes will be built in California's "highest wildfire risk areas" by 2050. A Villanova University researcher showed that there were 600,000 houses in the West's fire-prone areas in 1940; today, there are about 7 million.
SOURCE: BUILDER
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Oregon Rejects Protection For Humboldt Marten
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission rejected a petition from conservation groups to protect the Humboldt marten, a small predator that lives in old-growth redwood forests.
SOURCE: KTVL. PHOTO © CHARLOTTE ERIKSSON, OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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China-Europe Railway Linked To Chengdu Timber Distribution Center
The new express service is expected to increase timber trade between China and the EU. The China-Europe Express train connects 48 cities in China with more than 40 cities in 14 European nations.
SOURCE: ITTO (P. 14)
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U.S. Imports Of Wood Furniture Rise
U.S. imports of wooden furniture from China grew 2% in June to $1.71 billion. Imports in the first six months of 2018 were 6% higher than the same time period last year.
SOURCE: FORDAQ
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Newly-Built Housing Fails Formaldehyde Standards
The BBC reported that high demand for housing in China has resulted in tenants moving into new apartments that have formaldehyde levels of up to two to four times the national standard.
SOURCE: THE EDGE MARKETS, CHEMICAL WATCH
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VIDEO: Goats Airlifted From Olympic National Park
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Interactive Map Predicts Peak Leaf Color By Region
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