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May 14, 2010

SFPA Represents Wood Industry on Standards Committee

Cathy Kaake, SFPA’s senior director of engineered and framing markets, was invited to serve on the American Society of Civil Engineers committee responsible for producing the standard for flood-resistant design and construction. The standard – Flood Resistant Design and Construction (ASCE/SEI 24-05) – provides minimum requirements for flood-resistant design and construction of structures located in flood hazard areas. The standard applies to new construction and work classified as substantial repair or substantial improvement of an existing structure that is not a historic structure.

“SPFA was invited to serve on the committee to help represent the wood industry,” Cathy said. “The standard directly impacts our work to encourage people to use raised wood floor foundations in flood-prone areas, so we are pleased to be able to provide our perspective.”

This is the third edition of the standard, which was first published in 1998. The current edition was produced in 2005.

Import-Export Data Available

SFPA members can now find regularly updated import and export trade data in the members-only sections of SFPA’s website.  Export data is already available for January 2008 through March 2010, and import data is expected to be posted early next week. The export report includes a breakdown by country and product (bright and treated). Click here to access the members-only sections. If you have questions or need further information, contact Russell Richardson at 504/443-4464, ext. 239, or at rrichardson@sfpa.org. 

Builders Believe Housing Recession Has Bottomed

Home building executives participating in a Housing Leadership Summit hosted by Hanley Wood in Chicago this week believe the housing recession has bottomed, according to a story in Big Builder News. "I am actually declaring the market has bottomed, and it happened last quarter," said Tim Eller, former CEO of Centex and currently vice chairman at Pulte Group, during the Builder 100 Advisory Council Roundtable on Monday. Click here for the full story and to see what the participating executives see as the biggest challenge as the housing industry works its way toward recovery.

Canadians Will Not Pay Export Tax in June

Thanks to strong lumber prices, Canadian softwood lumber producers will not pay taxes on lumber shipped into the United States beginning June 1, the British Columbia Ministry of Forests and Range recently reported.

“In two months, the export tax has dropped from 15% to zero because of higher lumber prices,” said B.C. Forests and Range Minister Pat Bell in a recent news release.

Under the 2006 Softwood Lumber Agreement, companies exporting softwood lumber to the United States are required to pay an export tax on their shipments. The formula for determining the tax is based on the average price over a four-week period 21 days before the start of the month. The higher the average lumber price is, the lower the export tax. In this case, since the four-week average lumber price, as given by the Random Lengths Framing Composite Price Index, is now $US 361 per thousand board feet, the export tax rate that will be in effect June 1, will be zero, reports the B.C. release. If lumber prices decrease again, the export tax will be reapplied. Click here to read the full release.

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