The BC Wood Staff (Brian, Randi, Brenda, Bonnie, Kit, Rumin, Ken, Dave, Jim, and JC) would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! We hope your holidays are filled with joy and the New Year brings you good cheer and great prosperity!

On October 03, 2019, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) issued a World Trade Organization (WTO) notification of a regulatory amendment under its Plant Protection Act to exempt certain plants and plant products from requiring phytosanitary certificates. At the same time, Japan is proposing to enforce its requirement for phytosanitary certificates for certain other plants and plant products, including lumber with bark and logs with bark, for which the requirement for phytosanitary certificates has not been enforced historically. MAFF will be implementing the requirement for phytosanitary certificates as of June 2020.

Processed wood products will not be subject to the requirement for a phytosanitary certificate. MAFF interprets "processed" wood as bark free, whether sawn or not, or whether treated or not. The CFIA seeks to clarify if bark free will allow a tolerance for bark and to seek alternatives to phytosanitary certificates (i.e., treatment marks, industry-issued certificates for those products that aren't bark free).

Japan is Canada's third largest market for the export of forest products and the Market Access Secretariat (MAS) under AAFC/CFIA and the CFIA have started consulting with CFIA operations and the forestry sector on the impact of Japan's proposed regulatory amendment.

Canada Wood is engaged in this process and is assisting in identifying potential impact to exporters and importers.

After a meeting with Canadian representatives and MAFF,  I  am happy to advise that we now have further clarification on the matter and an official statement will be forthcoming - in the meantime:

LUMBER & TIMBERS SAWN ON 4 SIDES IS EXEMPT FROM REQUIRING A PHYTOSANITARY CERTIFICATE.

As further details become known we will advise further. Any questions on the matter should be directed to Barry Ford [email protected].

Fo ur Architectural Institute of British Columbia recognized continuing education units (CEUs) are now available based on select chapter readings from the Naturally Wood book. Complete all four to receive two core learning units.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact us at [email protected].

Available CEU topics: 

Take the CEUs Today >

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It's no secret the BC forest industry has fallen on hard times.

There are numerous reports of layoffs, closures and cutbacks, except at one plant in Spallumcheen.

Woodtone is not only keeping its employees working, it is hiring more staff.

Some 70 people are employed by the plant that has carved out a successful niche market while taking value-added to a whole new level.

The company takes small pieces of wood that were destined for the chipper or burner from area sawmills and turns them into large, valuable pieces of wood coveted for a variety of construction projects.

"We partner with a lot of the primary mills around the Okanagan particularly, and we buy a lot of the lengths and odds and ends they can't get rid of," said Chad Richmond, Woodtone territory manager and product manager.

CAWP Open House

CAWP's Open House event is an opportunity for interested individuals to learn more about the education, training, research and industry assistance programs that go on in our building. In the afternoon we have a few short presentations on topics of interest to the wood products industry community. After presentations, visitors can walk around and view practical demonstrations and exhibits in our machine lab areas, as well as talk to some of our machinery, software and educational partners.

 

When: Thursday, January 30th, 2020, 12:30 pm to 5:00 pm

Where: UBC Forest Sciences Centre (2424 Main Mall, Vancouver) - Sign in at main Wood Science reception, CAWP 2900

RSVP by January 28th: https://hub.forestrycoop.ubc.ca/publicEvents.htm

WPP Co-op Presentation Night

BC Wood has long been working in the Japanese resort sector, but the explosion in inbound tourists is driving new redevelopment projects across the country and revitalizing the entire market. It started with hardcore ski enthusiasts from Australia and then spread to foreign resort developers. Now the Japanese government has taken notice of the economic opportunities resulting from Europeans and North Americans spending more time and money in Japan's otherwise stagnant rural areas.

 

They have also realized that most facilities in Japan are not up to international standards. As a result, the government recently announced planning for new projects that will help fund the construction of 50 new luxury hotels and rebuild 10-15 run-down bubble economy-era ski resorts. The government's Tourism Ministry has also been helping to set-up 100 Destination Management/Marketing Organizations (DMOs) to bring the local hospitality industries and governments together to make plans for improving facilities that are targeting inbound tourists.

 

For fiscal 2019/20, BC Wood had already planned to increase our efforts in this market with new programs and it seems that based on these announcements, our timing is perfect. First, we will be exhibiting at February's HoteRes Show in Tokyo which targets the hospitality industry. We have exhibited there twice before and have been able to meet many owners and operators of hotel, hot spring, and other resort facilities. We are looking forward to developing more contacts in the sector on behalf of the Canadian industry.

 

In early March, BC Wood will once again be organizing the Canadian Pavilion for the Nikkei Architectural & Construction Materials Show at Tokyo Big Sight. This show attracts a very large number of architects and designers who work in the hospitality sector and thus Canadian exhibitors will be able to directly target this market. Immediately following the Nikkei Show, BC Wood will also hold a series of seminars in Sapporo, Nagano, and Tokyo, showcasing Canadian know-how in developing resorts.

 

Any members interested in our programs targeting the Japanese resort market should contact Jim Ivanoff ( [email protected]) for more information.

Once again, BC Wood will be exhibiting at Interzum Guangzhou from March 28th to 31st to give industry members the opportunity to build and expand their business in the large Chinese market. This annual event covers every facet of wood furniture and building products manufacturing, including both machinery and raw materials. It is said to be the largest woodworking show in Asia. Over 1,100 manufacturers and suppliers are expected to occupy the 130,000-square meter venue with 60,000 visitors expected.

 

Interzum has been attracting pavilions from Germany, the US, Italy, Turkey, Spain, Sweden, and more over the past ten years, covering a wide variety of both softwood and hardwood species. Due to the show's importance to the Chinese woodworking industry, buyers/ importers of all types of wood products visit. Therefore, this show will be of interest to members supplying a wide variety of softwood & hardwood lumber for uses in remanufacturing, concrete forming, as well as wood construction. For more information, please e-mail me at [email protected].

BC Wood will be participating at the Spring Cottage Life Show in Toronto, March 26-29, 2020.  This show features 600 exhibitors showing all things cottage related from building products to docks to power boats.  With an average audience of 39,000, the Cottage Life Show attracts an elite consumer with a high household income, high net-worth and dual homeowners.  

 

As the exhibit spaces sell out quickly, if you have an interest in exhibiting at this show or would like more information, please contact Ken Hori at [email protected] as soon as possible.