Ken Kalesnikoff & David Eby
BC Wood announced that Premier David Eby will open the 22nd Annual Global Buyers Mission (GBM) and deliver the welcoming remarks on Friday, September 5th, before the tradeshow begins. This shows the significance of the GBM to British Columbia’s forestry and value-added wood industry, with the Premier joining us to explore the tradeshow floor and engage directly with the delegates. Premier Eby’s presence highlights the critical role of BC’s wood and forestry sector in driving innovation, sustainability, and economic growth. As one of the largest events of its kind in Canada, the GBM brings together over 700 delegates from around the globe, fostering connections that generated over $34 million in new business last year alone. For 22 years, the GBM has been a staple for generating business for Canada’s wood manufacturers. This showcases to international delegates, Canada’s wood manufacturing capabilities as some of the finest in the world.
President Donald Trump on Friday announced he’s directing his administration to investigate imports of furniture into the United States that will lead to higher tariffs by October. “Within the next 50 days, that Investigation will be completed, and Furniture coming from other Countries into the United States will be Tariffed at a Rate yet to be determined,” Trump wrote. “This will bring the Furniture Business back to North Carolina, South Carolina, Michigan, and States all across the Union,” Trump said. …Already, furniture prices have been increasing over the past few months as Trump hiked tariffs on countries including China and Vietnam, the top two sources of imported furniture. Both countries imported $12 billion worth of furniture and fixtures last year, according to US Commerce Department data. …Furniture stocks, such as Wayfair, William-Sonoma and Restoration Hardware, all tanked in after-hours trading Friday.
We welcome the recent announcement from the White House regarding the US–EU Framework Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade. Notably, the European Union has committed to addressing U.S. concerns about the EUDR, acknowledging that US commodity production poses negligible risk to global deforestation. This recognition is a positive step toward ensuring Southern Pine lumber producers and exporters are not unfairly burdened by regulations that fail to account for the sustainability and stewardship practices already in place within the American forestry sector. …The EUDR’s stringent traceability requirements (such as geolocation data for every plot of land from which timber is sourced) present serious compliance obstacles for U.S. producers. …Recognizing the broad impact of the EUDR across multiple agricultural sectors, the forest products industry is strategically voicing its objections through official trade and commerce channels.
The US International Trade Commission determined on August 21 that revoking the existing antidumping duty order and countervailing duty order on wooden cabinets and vanities from China would likely lead to “continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time.” The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) said that ruling “means that the antidumping and countervailing duty orders will remain in place for at least another five years and continue to provide relief to the US domestic industry from dumped and subsidized merchandise from China.” As a result of the Commission’s affirmative determinations, the existing orders on imports of these products will remain in place. …The action comes under the five-year (sunset) review process required by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act. The Commission’s public report on Wooden Cabinets and Vanities from China will be available by October 3, 2025.
As of mid-2025, the global tariff environment has grown increasingly unpredictable. The United States has reinforced its protectionist stance with new and expanded duties aimed at key trade partners. Most notably, a 50% tariff on imports from Brazil was enacted, targeting a wide range of products. Wood pulp and certain industrial inputs were explicitly exempted, though lingering confusion around the policy’s scope has led companies to reassess sourcing strategies. …Many of the early US tariffs implemented—such as those targeting Canadian softwood lumber, Chinese finished goods, and EU paperboard products—remain in place. …In response to this complex tariff environment, companies are increasingly focusing on supplier diversification, regional trade agreements, and nearshoring strategies to reduce risk. While some nations—like Mexico and Chile—have emerged as viable alternatives for sourcing pulp, packaging, and paper products, the reshuffling of trade lanes is still underway. 
NEW ZEALAND — The timber industry is battening down the hatches, as it struggles with low demand, increased running costs, and wars and tariffs overseas. 
The Danish timber industry is warning of significant financial strain following the introduction of new packaging regulations, which came into effect on 1 January as part of the EU’s packaging directive. According to the Danish Wood Packaging Association (DTE), the rules on extended producer responsibility place the cost burden on manufacturers, even when customers dictate the design and specifications. DTE argues this “uneven” implementation could cost the sector over DKK 60 million annually, with pallet prices expected to rise by around 20%. …The association also criticised the fee structure, claiming it relies on outdated data and fails to differentiate between clean, recyclable wood and mixed wood waste, unnecessarily inflating costs and threatening Danish jobs. DTE is calling for reforms to align payment with design responsibility, adjust fees based on environmental impact, and ensure imported packaging is subject to the same standards.
THE majority of consumers cannot identify the primary cause of deforestation – with an increasing number linking it to timber production. That’s going by the results of a major survey from the paper and pulp industry, which also found that more than 60 per cent of people believe only recycled paper should be used to produce new paper products. In contrast, 60 per cent of European consumers believe urban development poses the greatest threat, an increase from 55 per cent in both 2021 and 2023. 58 per cent believe palm oil plantations (up from 52 per cent in 2023), 54 per cent think construction and timber (up from 52 per cent in 2023), 52 per cent believe energy and wood fuel (slightly down from 54 per cent), and 46 per cent deem the paper and pulp industry is the most significant contributor – up from 42 per cent in 2023. …In reality, deforestation is primarily driven by agricultural expansion, especially in tropical and sub-tropical regions.
Timber roof trusses have the lowest climate impact across all measured span lengths when compared to concrete, steel, and glulam options. A study conducted by Zeina Alasadi and Selma Bergström Denizoglu at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, shows that nail plate connected timber trusses consistently outperform other materials in reducing CO₂ emissions, even when more timber units are required to match the span coverage of a single truss made from concrete or steel. The analysis covered trusses with spans from 6 to 26 meters and focused exclusively on emissions from the production phase, using life cycle assessment (LCA) data corresponding to stages A1–A3. The timber trusses were evaluated using verified environmental product declarations (EPDs) from Derome, which supplied design specifications and material volumes. Timber trusses with spans of 6, 8, 12, and 20 meters generated CO₂ emissions of 59.72 kg, 78.5 kg, 145.15 kg, and 352.5 kg respectively when scaled to match standard center distances.
The European Federation of Wooden Pallet and Packaging Manufacturers (FEFPEB) has advised that the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will not have significant implications for customers using wood pallets and packaging for transport. The organization 
Industry concerns have been raised over a freshly-struck agreement between the EU and the US over future trading arrangements, which observers have asserted could lead to America being offered exceptions from complying with EUDR environmental laws, reports Neill Barston. As the Palm Oil Monitor non-governmental organisation noted, if America is to be permitted exemptions from data monitoring underpinning the entire basis of the much-anticipated deforestation laws following intense lobbying from its paper industry, then other trading partners including Malaysia and Indonesia – which have core interests in the supply of palm oils for the confectionery and snacks sector, should be allowed similar treatment. …Moreover, as the palm oil industry organisation stated, unveiling the broader US-EU Trade Framework Agreement presents an immediate major hurdle for the EU Commission. In seemingly offering preferential treatment for America, this could, in its view, lead to challenges from the World Trade Organisation over equal trading between nationalities.
The occurrence and fate of microplastics in forest ecosystems is a recognized knowledge gap. In this paper, we used an aligned extraction method to quantify microplastics (>20 µm) in organic and mineral forest soil horizons and throughfall deposition. Calculation of forest soil microplastic stocks and throughfall fluxes allowed an estimation of throughfall contribution to microplastic accumulation in forest soils back to 1950. We identified a short-term microplastic enrichment in decomposed litter horizons followed by an accumulation in lower mineral soil caused by litter turnover processes. Similar microplastic features in soil and throughfall deposition indicate that microplastics entering forest soils primarily originate from atmospheric deposition and litter fall, while other sources have a minor impact. We conclude that forests are good indicators for atmospheric microplastic pollution and that high microplastic concentrations in forest soils indicate a high diffuse input of microplastics into these ecosystems.
Three nations joined forces Friday to establish what will become the second-largest nature reserve in Latin America. Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize announced the creation of a massive tri-national protected area spanning 14 million acres (5.7 million hectares) across the heart of the ancient Maya forest. The announcement came during a summit in Calakmul, where Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stood alongside Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo and Belize Prime Minister Johnny Briceño to reveal plans for the Biocultural Corridor of the Great Mayan Forest. “This is one of Earth’s lungs, a living space for thousands of species with an invaluable cultural legacy that we should preserve with our eyes on the future,” Sheinbaum said during the joint press conference. She called the move “historic.” The new reserve will encompass 50 existing protected areas across the three countries.
One of the key agreements for Amazon rainforest protection – the soy moratorium – has been suspended by Brazilian authorities, potentially opening up an area the size of Portugal to destruction by farmers. Coming less than three months before Brazil hosts the Cop30 climate summit in Belém, the news has shocked conservation groups, who say it is now more important than ever that consumers, supermarkets and traders stand up against Brazilian agribusiness groups that are using their growing political power to reverse past environmental gains. Brazil is the world’s biggest soya bean exporter. The legume … posed a huge deforestation threat to the Amazon rainforest until stakeholders voluntarily agreed to impose a moratorium and no longer source it from the region in 2006. …Greenpeace Brazil called the move a “terrible mistake”, which was the result of political pressure from the “regressive wings of agribusiness”…
JAKARTA, Indonesia — The recreational vehicle industry is now the biggest consumer of tropical wood in the United States, UK-based NGO Earthsight and Indonesian NGO Auriga Nusantara said. They said evidence showed sheets of tropical “lauan” plywood found in Indonesia were likely being used in the floors, walls and ceilings of RVs produced by major brands like Jayco, Winnebago and Forest River. “Nature-loving RV owners will be horrified,” said Earthsight director Sam Lawson. …Indonesia has one of the world’s highest rates of deforestation linked to mining, farming and logging, and is accused of allowing firms to operate in Borneo with little oversight. …PT Kayu Lapis Asli Murni, sourced timber mostly from rainforest in areas the NGOs visited, half of which was then exported to US firms MJB Wood and Tumac Lumber in 2024, they said.
The Forest Stewardship Council has allowed Asia Pulp & Paper — “one of the world’s most destructive forestry companies” — to resume its remedy process toward regaining certification it lost in 2007 for deforestation and land conflicts. Watchdog groups say the decision is premature because a legal review of APP’s links to Paper Excellence/Domtar, the biggest pulp and paper company in North America, is still unfinished. Critics warn the move could erode trust, enable greenwashing, and expose communities in conflict with APP-linked companies to further harm. NGOs are calling for the remedy process to be paused until the review is completed and for full transparency on corporate ownership and compliance.
AUSTRALIA — The Victorian Government has 
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has issued a ruling on suspending logging to protect bird nesting sites in Estonia. However, the Ministry of Climate and forestry industry representatives interpret the ruling in opposing ways, each claiming their stance is the right one. The final decision on the matter is set to be made in the autumn by the Estonian Supreme Court, which should clarify whether current practices will be changed or not. Head of the Ministry of Climate’s Biodiversity Protection Department, Timo Kark, said overall the ECJ considered the suspension of logging to be justified. “In the opinion of the European Court, the birds directive must be interpreted such that its provisions apply to all bird species, including those that are not protected. So any activity that may result in birds being killed, such as logging during the spring-summer nesting period, can be suspended,” Kark said.
STOCKHOLM — A political fight has erupted in Sweden over whether forest owners should be paid to delay harvesting trees as part of the country’s contribution to the EU’s ambitious carbon removal targets. The EU’s Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) regulation requires the bloc to remove 310 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent by 2030. With Sweden holding the EU’s largest forest area, the country is expected to play a central role in meeting that target. In 2022, the government commissioned a parliamentary committee to explore how to incentivize carbon storage. Its proposal: legally binding contracts offering landowners 400 SEK (~$42) per ton of CO2 if they delay felling their trees for 5 to 20 years beyond the minimum harvest age. …The plan has triggered fierce opposition. The Swedish Forest Industries Federation warns that 7,200 jobs are at risk, with smaller sawmills particularly vulnerable. …Supporters, however, argue that paying landowners reflects the forest’s true value.
Energy company Drax is under investigation by the UK’s financial watchdog over the firm’s sourcing of wood for biomass pellets in the wake of whistleblower claims. The London-listed group said the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) probe covers more than two years, from January 2022 to March 2024, and will also look at compliance of Drax’s annual reports from 2021, 2022 and 2023 with rules over listing, disclosure and transparency. Drax said it will “co-operate with the FCA as part of their investigation”. Shares in the FTSE 250 firm fell 8% in morning trading on Thursday. It follows accusations by Drax’s former head of public affairs and policy, Rowaa Ahmar, in March that the company had misled over its sourcing of wood for biomass pellets, which were made as part of her claim for unfair dismissal at an employment tribunal. Drax denied her claims. The firm and Ms Ahmar reached a settlement with Drax just over a week after the case opened.
Climate-heating emissions from wildfires in the European Union have surged to record levels this year as flames have engulfed over 1 million hectares of land – equal to 13 times the size of New York City – since January. Blazes sweeping through the continent – with major hotspots in Spain and Portugal – have so far released 38.37 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere, more than the annual CO2 emissions of Sweden, according to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). That’s more than double the average historical CO2 emissions recorded during the same months over the last 20 years. …Forests act as important carbon sinks, but when they burn, they release back into the atmosphere the carbon stored in the trunks, branches and leaves of their trees as well as in the soil. …Scientists have warned of the emergence of a ‘feedback loop’ between climate change and fires. 
“Protecting diversity tends to be an afterthought when it comes to carbon-offsetting projects,” says conservation scientist Aakash Lamba, a CNCS postdoctoral research fellow. “The narrative at the moment is usually carbon first, biodiversity second.”In certain reforestation initiatives, for example, a single tree species might be planted because it can grow quickly and absorb large amounts of carbon in a short span of time. But the lack of diversity in such monocultures can lead to a slew of problems, including increased disease risk and soil degradation. Recognizing the interconnectedness of biodiversity and carbon offsetting goals could unlock unforeseen opportunities and funding for conservation programmes, Koh points out. The centre’s researchers have set about detailing how ‘win-win’ conservation projects have already brought about both biodiversity gains and carbon mitigation benefits. India’s tiger reserves provide a prime example of how habitat protection leads to more intact ecosystems and bolsters carbon sequestration.
When we hear the terms “biodiversity crisis” and “mass extinction”, charismatic animals such as tigers, rhinos and sea turtles often spring to mind. But what about the small, inconspicuous species that play an important role in our ecosystems despite their size? Do they receive the attention and protection they need? Mosses may seem insignificant, but they form a rich and widespread group with around 20,000 species worldwide. Despite their small size, they play an important role in many ecosystems, for example by retaining moisture, serving as carbon sinks and contributing to nitrogen fixation in forests. Yet over 30 per cent of European species are endangered or potentially endangered. Many are poorly researched and often inadequately protected.
Choking smoke spewed by wildfires is far more dangerous than previously thought, a new study has found, with death tolls from short-term exposure to fine particulates underestimated by 93%. Researchers found that 535 people in Europe died on average each year between 2004 and 2022 as a result of breathing in the tiny toxic particles known as PM2.5 that are released when wildfires rage. Under standard methods, which assume PM2.5 from wildfires is as deadly as from other sources, such as traffic, they would have expected just 38 deaths a year. The study comes as wildfires ravage southern Europe, and new data from EU fire monitors shows that 895,000 hectares (2.2m acres) have burned so far in 2025, breaking records for this time of year. “Our paper shows the health impact for the same amount of particles is stronger for wildfire particles,” said Prof Cathryn Tonne, an environmental epidemiologist and co-author of the study.
Spain has sent 500 more troops to fight raging wildfires, bringing the total deployed to 1,900, as the death toll from the blazes has risen to four. On Sunday, a firefighter died after an accident during firefighting efforts when his truck fell down a steep hill, the Castile and León regional government said. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed “sadness” and “desolation” on X at the latest death. In neighbouring Portugal, where fires are also blazing, another firefighter was killed on Sunday in a “tragic” traffic accident, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said. Fires have also broken out in Greece, France, Turkey and the Balkans as a heatwave has scorched swathes of southern Europe. Several large fires are still burning in the northwest and west of Spain, where 27,000 residents are currently evacuated from their homes.
Spain is deploying a further 500 soldiers to battle wildfires that have torn through parched woodland during a prolonged spell of scorching weather, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Sunday. The decision to add to the more than 1,400 troops already on wildfire duty came as authorities struggled to contain forest blazes, especially in the northwestern Galicia region, and awaited the arrival of promised aircraft reinforcements from other European countries. …Spanish national weather agency said on Saturday, the maximum temperature was 44.7 degrees Celsius in the southern city of Cordoba. …Portugal is set for cooler weather in coming days after a spate of severe woodland fires. …In Turkey, where recent wildfires have killed 19 people, parts of the historic region that includes memorials to World War I’s Gallipoli campaign were evacuated Sunday as blazes threatened homes in the country’s northwest. …Turkey has been struck by hundreds of fires since late June, with record-breaking temperatures.
ATHENS — Wildfires intensified across southern Europe on Wednesday with a round-the-clock battle to protect the perimeter of Greece’s third-largest city and at least three deaths reported in Spain, Turkey and Albania. Outside the Greek port city of Patras, firefighters struggled to protect homes and agricultural facilities as flames tore through pine forests and olive groves. Tall columns of flames rose behind apartment blocks on the outskirts of the city. …Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed condolences after the death of a firefighting volunteer in the hard-hit Castile and León region north of the capital, Madrid, where thousands have been displaced by evacuations. In Turkey, a forestry worker was killed Wednesday while responding to a wildfire in a southern region, officials said. The Forestry Ministry said the worker died in an accident involving a fire truck that left four others injured.
PATRAS, Greece,/MADRID – Wildfires caused by arsonists or thunderstorms and fanned by a heatwave and strong winds wreaked destruction across southern Europe on Wednesday, burning homes and forcing thousands of residents and tourists to flee. Fire has affected nearly 440,000 hectares in the eurozone so far in 2025, double the average for the same period of the year since 2006… Authorities ordered residents of a town of about 7,700 people near Patras to evacuate on Tuesday and issued new alerts on Wednesday, advising residents of two nearby villages to leave. On the Greek islands of Chios, in the east, and Cephalonia, in the west, both popular with tourists, authorities told people to move to safety as fires spread. In Spain, a volunteer firefighter died from severe burns and several people were hospitalised as state weather agency AEMET warned that almost all of the country was at extreme or very high risk of fire.
At least three people have died in a scorching heatwave that is fuelling dozens of wildfires across parts of southern Europe, forcing thousands of people from their homes. Red heat alerts have been issued in parts of Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and the Balkans, warning of significant risks to health as temperatures push above 40C (104F). Spain’s weather service Aemet said temperatures could reach 44C (111.2F) in Seville and Cordoba, while southern Portugal could also hit 44C. In Spain, an equestrian centre employee died after suffering severe burns in Tres Cantos, near Madrid, where winds over 70km/h (43mph) drove flames near homes, forcing hundreds to flee. In Spain’s north-western region of Castile and Leon, almost 4,000 people were evacuated and more than 30 blazes were reported. Another 2,000 people were evacuated from hotels and homes near the tourist hotspot of Tarifa. …In neighbouring Portugal, firefighters battled three large wildfires.
France’s biggest wildfire this summer was spreading quickly Wednesday in a Mediterranean region near the Spanish border after leaving one person dead, authorities said. The fire had burned an area larger than Paris. About 2,000 firefighters and several water bomber aircraft battled the blaze that broke out Tuesday afternoon in the village of Ribaute in the Aude region, a rural, wooded area that is home to wineries. The fire, which has burned 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres), remained ‘’very active” on Wednesday, the local administration said in a statement. The weather was hot, dry and windy, making it difficult for firefighters to contain the blaze. One person died in their home, and at least 13 others were injured, including 11 firefighters, local authorities said. One person who was initially described as missing has been located and is safe.