WPA Announces World of Wood Session on Customs Classification and Anti-Circumvention

The 62nd World of Wood Annual Convention hosted by the International Wood Products Association (IWPA) brings together executives from every segment of the North American imported woods industry. This year’s Convention, which will take place March 14-16, 2018, at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, Louisiana, will feature speakers and panel discussions focusing on economic trends affecting the wood products market, leadership strategies, best practices for working with suppliers on due care compliance, the latest on customs classification and the EPA formaldehyde regulation, and emerging trends in global trade.

IWPA Executive Director Cindy Squires recently announced a session entitled “Beyond Scope: Classification and Anti-Circumvention Following the Chinese Plywood Ruling.” Many companies that import and distribute plywood products from around the world are adjusting their supply chains in the wake of the International Trade Commission’s ruling in favor of the Petitioners in the Chinese Plywood antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) case. Even industry veterans have questions about how this decision and the resulting duties will impact their businesses.

To address these questions, Laurel Duvall, National Import Specialist for U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Commodity Specialist Division, and Kristin Mowry of Mowry & Grimson PLLC, the firm that represented the coalition of wood products importers and U.S. manufacturers that contested the case, will share their expertise about the scope of the decision and what companies should keep in mind when importing plywood products into the United States.

Said Squires, “We are excited to have seasoned experts like Ms. Duvall and Ms. Mowry joining us in New Orleans. The Chinese Plywood AD/CVD case is having far reaching impacts and many firms have questions as they adjust to this new market reality. This is a must attend session for plywood importers and for suppliers to the U.S. market.”

More information on the World of Wood Convention is available at: www.iwpawood.org/page/WOW2018v3.

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