Canada Won’t Back Down, Vows To Resist U.S. Softwood Duties

Canada is in the appeals stage of its softwood lumber dispute after the U.S. Department of Commerce imposed final duties earlier this month.

“The Government of Canada will continue to vigorously defend our industry and its workers against protectionist trade practices,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland said in a statement. “U.S. duties on Canadian softwood lumber are unfair, unwarranted and troubling.”

“They are harmful to Canada’s lumber producers, workers, and communities, and they add to the cost of home building, renovations and other projects for American middle-class families,” Freeland said.

But despite duties, with record-high lumber prices and urgent demand from U.S. builders, Canadian lumber firms haven’t had to lay off staff or cut production at all. Canada’s softwood lumber exports to the U.S. have declined 8 percent since the duties were imposed, but because the wood itself is worth more, the industry hasn’t suffered.

VP of international trade and transportation for the Forest Products Association of Canada Joel Neuheimer said the higher price of wood and the insatiable demand from U.S. builders is helping keep the duties from pushing companies to lay off staff, cut production or even close down.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/canadian-news/canada-wont-back-down-vows-resist-softwood-duties?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news

North American Construction Drives Plywood Market Growth

The global plywood market is expected to expand by the end of 2017, according to Research Nester. Plywood will see increased demand from the construction of houses and other activities. Moreover, the economical price of the plywood will further drive the market.

The North American region has been consistently dominating the market globally, in terms of the market demand for plywood. This has been primarily due to high plywood consumption by the construction sector. It will be followed by North America and Europe occupying the second position in the market. Asia Pacific is anticipated to showcase robust growth in the next few years. Moreover, plywood market in Asia Pacific will further increase due to the massive growth in construction sector.

Apart from this, the countries with rich forests and woods such as India, Brazil and South Asian countries have the potential to be the key suppliers of plywood in the near future. Further, the growing indigenous demand for plywood in India as a result of rising disposable income among the growing middle and affluent class and the growing infrastructure in recent times is expected to make India an important consumer of plywood in the near future.

The growing demand for the plywood is driven by rising construction activities (both for residential and commercial purposes) and growing preferences for well-designed floors, home ceilings and walls. Robust population growth coupled with rising disposable income as well as rising preferences for branded plywood has expanded the plywood market at a global level.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/north-american-construction-drives-plywood-market-growth