General

Alliance Remains Confident that ITC will Remain Impartial and Rule in Favor of Defendants for a Second Time

Washington, DC – The American Alliance for Hardwood Plywood (AAHP) reacted with shock today when the Department of Commerce (“DOC”) announced its final antidumping and countervailing duty rates after a considerable delay.  The rates were scheduled to be announced on November 7 but were instead kept secret during President Trump’s visit with Chinese President Xi, thus confirming the political nature of the decision.  Today’s announcement that the DOC has, with a stroke of a pen, changed preliminary duties of zero percent for the principal investigated Chinese company to an exorbitant 183.36 percent final duty provides an answer why the new duties were kept under wraps.   The high 183.36 percent antidumping duties, together with additional countervailing duties of 22.98 percent for most companies, will apply to the unique hardwood plywood made by China that cannot be produced in the United States.

“These rates are based purely on politics, not on any type of marketplace reality.  Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of American workers will pay the price in lost jobs.  Industries including the kitchen cabinet, recreational vehicle, window and door, furniture, homebuilding and flooring industries all utilize the Chinese hardwood plywood because it is distinctly different from American hardwood plywood,” said AAHP Chairman Greg Simon.   Mr. Simon noted that witnesses from these end-use industries showed up to testify before the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”) in opposition to this case, alongside the AAHP, with letters of support from trade associations representing over a million American workers.   The AAHP was supported in its defense against the antidumping/countervailing duty case by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association, the National Association of Home Builders, the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association and the International Wood Products Association.  “The domestic plywood companies had nobody show up for them except a parade of politicians.  Not one actual user of the plywood testified on their side.  That’s because the story they are telling the ITC is bogus.”

“We remain confident that the ITC will keep its eye on the facts and law before it” said Simon, noting that the ITC has the last word on whether duties will remain in place and will vote on December 1.   This case is a repeat of a complaint filed in 2012 by the same group of petitioners.  Then, like now, the DOC announced high final dumping and countervailing duty margins, yet the ITC still voted to terminate the case.   “We are hopeful the ITC remains immune from political influence, follows the rule of law and once again terminates this flawed petition.   The DOC’s high duty rates have raised the stakes for American manufacturers who cannot get this raw material at home,” said Simon.

The American Alliance for Hardwood Plywood is an organization of American importers, distributors and manufacturers of hardwood plywood, along with other U.S. companies that depend on the availability of global resources.

For Immediate Release from American Alliance for Hardwood Plywood

October 27, 2017

Media Contact: Mike Burita – 202.420.9361 or mike@buritamedia.com

 Washington – The American Alliance for Hardwood Plywood (AAHP) expressed confidence at the closing of a final hearing of the International Trade Commission (ITC) on potential antidumping and countervailing duties on imports of Chinese hardwood plywood.  The AAHP joined several industry stakeholders that testified before the ITC and presented strong evidence that imports of hardwood plywood products from China are not having a negative impact on the domestic hardwood plywood industry.   The AAHP’s previous opposition to an identical case in 2012 resulted in a unanimous vote by the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”) to terminate the case. That win was later upheld  on appeal by a federal judge.

“As we’ve made clear time and again, domestic and Chinese plywood both play a vital complementary role for American cabinet manufacturers and other end users of this important raw material,” said AAHP Chairman Greg Simon.  “The ITC has ruled in our favor before and we feel confident that the facts continue to speak volumes. We trust in the deliberative approach of the ITC and that plywood from the United States, China and other countries can continue trade in a fair manner as they always have.”

The proposed duties of more than 225 percent would be devastating to the hundreds of thousands of American jobs that rely on hardwood plywood from both the U.S. and China, including U.S. Kitchen Cabinet, Furniture, Laminators, RV manufacturers and other vital American manufacturers, located in states like Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Virginia. A joint letter from International Wood Products Association (IWPA), National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), and the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) was sent to ITC commissioners in advance of yesterday’s hearing strongly urging them to vote negative in the AD/CVD case.

“Our associations collectively represent hundreds of thousands of American jobs including manufacturing jobs that rely on access to both domestic and global raw materials to remain competitive,” the joint letter stated.  “One such product is hardwood plywood, where imported plywood has historically played a complementary role in the market alongside domestic hardwood plywood.   We are concerned that if this case moves forward to final antidumping and countervailing duties there will be unintended negative consequences on our industries, our members and their employees that collectively far outnumber those of petitioners – both in terms of employment and contribution to the economy. We urge the Commission to consider the important differences between domestic and Chinese plywood and make a negative final determination just as it did in 2013.”

“The only thing that has changed since 2012 is that our Alliance has even more support today.  Every day we are contacted by more cabinet makers, laminators, furniture manufacturers and retailers who agree that Chinese and domestic hardwood plywood is fundamentally and physically different.  The petitioners continue to deny this fact to the ITC, while at the same time their salesmen are in the field, actively touting the fundamental product differences.  We exposed the truth the ITC hearing and are confident that we will prevail again,” stated Mr. Simon.

The American Alliance for Hardwood Plywood is an organization of American importers, distributors and manufacturers of hardwood plywood, along with other U.S. companies, collectively representing more than 100,000 American jobs that depend on the availability of global resources.

As part of our environmental commitment we have completed the certification of our office operations in Malaysia (head office) and Mexico under the ISO 14064-1:2006 standard and we have been verified by the  independent verification party Bureau Veritas on 5^th September 2017 as being carbon neutral.

We have off-set our carbon foot-print by purchasing carbon credits from the Rimba Raya Orangutan Forestry Reserve project in Kalimantan, Borneo (Indonesia).

The largest part of our carbon foot-print (66%) comes from the travels that our people are doing servicing our customers and assisting our suppliers.

The Greenhouse Gases Verification Statement and our carbon credit certificate can be found our website under the Certification section.

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The participation of McCorry Mexico in this Expo was a success because it served to introduce our exclusive lines to the customers.

MDF Melamine

MDF Standard of Guararapes

MDF Color of Forescolor

Single Ply and 2 Ply of Ossi Veeners 

We had visitors from all over the  country as well as some from the USA with many wholesalers, distributors, designers, architects, furniture shops, etc.  All of them were very interested in our products, their comments were that the products are innovative and there is nothing similar in the market at this moment.

Washington – The American Alliance for Hardwood Plywood (AAHP) reacted today to the announcement by the U.S. Department of Commerce (“DOC”) of its preliminary antidumping duties on hardwood plywood from China.

“The high duties announced today have no connection to reality and will be devastating to the more than 100,000 American jobs that rely on hardwood plywood from both the U.S. and China,” stated AAHP Chairman Greg Simon.   The only company for which DOC calculated an antidumping margin was found to have an antidumping rate of zero, meaning the company was not dumping, wholly refuting the petitioners’ claims.  DOC averaged that zero together with another company that failed to respond to derive the fictitious 57.36 percent applied to over a hundred fully cooperating exporters and plywood mills.

“To all U.S. Kitchen Cabinet, Furniture, Laminators, RV manufacturers and other vital American manufacturers, located in states like Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Virginia, we ask you to protect your business interests and actively join us to defeat this bogus case again,” said Simon, referencing the AAHP’s previous opposition to an identical case in 2012 that resulted in a unanimous vote by the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”) to terminate the case. That win was upheld on appeal by a federal judge.

Now the DOC will conduct onsite audits, order Customs and Border Protection to collect duties, hear legal arguments and many other burdensome and resource-strapping government interventions.  Such market disruption collectively ties the hands of U.S. wood-based manufacturers behind their backs as they face stiff competition from countries that stay out of the business of picking winners and losers in business.   “This decision is a brutal stab in the back of tens of thousands of workers and companies located in states that are struggling to keep good manufacturing jobs here in the United States,” said Simon.

The DOC antidumping preliminary determination also marks the resumption of the ITC’s final phase investigation into the pivotal question of whether Chinese imports have any effect at all on the petitioners.   The ITC previously investigated the petitioners’ claims in 2012 and unanimously threw out their case.  “The only thing that has changed since 2012 is that our Alliance has even more support today.  Every day we are contacted by more cabinet makers, laminators, furniture manufacturers and retailers who agree that Chinese and domestic hardwood plywood is fundamentally and physically different.  The petitioners continue to deny this fact to the ITC, while at the same time their salesmen are in the field, actively touting the fundamental product differences.  We want the truth to come out at the ITC,” stated Mr. Simon.

The American Alliance for Hardwood Plywood is an organization of American importers, distributors and manufacturers of hardwood plywood, along with other U.S. companies, collectively representing more than 100,000 American jobs that depend on the availability of global resources.

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On 25th to 27th May 2017, McCorry Mexico participated at the expo “Habitat 2017” in Mexico City with a booth.

This trade show is focused on interior design, design and architecture. It is recognized as the most important exhibition in Mexico in terms of design. All the major designers of furniture in Mexico as well as the industry participated in the expo.

McCorry Mexico was presenting the 3 products that we sell on an exclusive basis in Mexico:

Forescolor (Colored MDF) from Korea
Guararapes Melamine (MDF with high-end Melamine) from Brazil
Ossis Veneer (hardwood veneers) from Mexico.
These are the videos of the products:

Ossie Veneer: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9jrigrxyizizvqv/OSSI%20VENEERS.mp4?dl=0

Guararapes Melamine: https://www.dropbox.com/s/bwd3fz43rveq3kb/L%C3%ADnea%20Color%20y%20Dual%20Syncro.mp4?dl=0

Forescolor: https://www.dropbox.com/s/k4jc583vtgoeb1j/FORESCOLOR.mpg?dl=0

Should you need further information and clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us.

On 19^th April 2017, McCorry Group has participated in the FSC^® Malaysia Stakeholder Engagement Session on the first draft of Malaysian NFSS. The objective of the session is to get the feedbacks from the Sabah Stakeholders on the NFSS. All of the feedbacks from the engagement sessions will be brought up to the National Working Committee (NWC) for revision and changes of NFSS if necessary. This first draft of Malaysian NFSS is open for consultation started from 17^th March 2017 to 17^th May 2017. The details can be found in the Forest Sustainability (Malaysia) Website (http://www.forestsustainability.org/?p=1963)

McCorry Group has undergone the Chain of Custody assessment conducted by Global Forestry Services (GFS) on 28^th March 2017 for the renewal of its Statement of Participation in the Wood Tracking Program (WTP). One minor gap has been identified as a result of the assessment. The summary of the McCorry’s WTP Assessment Report and Statement of Participation can be found in the GFS Website (http://www.gfsinc.biz/?s=mccorry)

Washington, DC – The American Alliance for Hardwood Plywood (AAHP) is aware that the petitioners have filed yet more unfounded allegations claiming that importers of Chinese Hardwood Plywood are circumventing U.S. law.  Our attorneys are reviewing the claims and will respond accordingly. However, on its face, the petitioners’ claims are critically flawed.  The AAHP is confident that upon examination,  the U.S. Department of Commerce will reject the petitioners’ request for the application of retroactive duties which is an extraordinary,  extremely unfair and prejudicial act.    Ultimately,  the International Trade Commission (ITC) will have the final word on whether such duties are warranted.  The members of the AAHP expect that the petitioners’ case will crumble in the ITC’s Final Phase investigation, just as it did in 2013.  In that case, the ITC unanimously rejected similarly flawed and hysterical claims made by the same petitioning group that once again seeks to profit by manipulating markets and sewing panic among its customers.

The American Alliance for Hardwood Plywood  https://aahp-org.com is an organization of American importers, distributors and manufacturers of hardwood plywood, along with other U.S. companies that depend on the availability of global resources.

Despite Back to Back Losses, Legal Harassment Campaign Against Imports Continue, Putting Thousands of U.S. Manufacturing Jobs at Risk  

Washington – The American Alliance for Hardwood Plywood (AAHP) expressed disappointment in today’s ruling by the International Trade Commission (ITC) that it will proceed with an investigation into alleged “dumping” practices of Chinese hardwood plywood to gain an unfair competitive advantage. The ITC and Department of Commerce rejected a similar petition in 2012 and a federal court also rejected the dubious allegations initiated by the Coalition for Fair Trade of Hardwood Plywood (CFTHP). AAHP Chairman Greg Simon issued the following statement:

“We are disappointed that this investigation will proceed, but remain very confident that the facts continue to be on our side. This is now the third time that the federal government will conduct a thorough review and we believe they will reach the same finding as before–imported hardwood plywood products from China are traded fairly at competitive prices and have a rightful place in the global consumer market. This continued legal harassment by CFTHP against imports is putting thousands of U.S. jobs at risk during a time when manufacturing is in desperate need of revival.  Our alliance of small medium and large American importers, distributors, retailers of hardwood plywood and domestic kitchen cabinet manufacturers remains united in opposition to these bogus charges and look forward to presenting our side to the ITC and Department of Commerce in the coming months.”

The American Alliance for Hardwood Plywood is an organization of American importers, distributors and manufacturers of hardwood plywood, along with other U.S. companies that depend on the availability of global resources.