IWPA Wood Trade Compliance Training looks at new enforcement against duty circumvention
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ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The International Wood Products Association's new courses on Wood Trade Compliance will also examine liability wood manufacturers have under the 2015 Enforce and Protect Act. 
 
The Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 is commonly referred to as The Enforce and Protect Act of 2015 or EAPA.  EAPA establishes formal procedures for submitting and investigating antidumping or countervailing allegations of evasion against U.S. importers.  U.S. Customs and Border Protection has responsibility for tracking and reporting allegations of evasion from initial receipt, vetting and enforcement actions, to final disposition of an investigation. Restrictions imposed by the White House on imports to the U.S. of Chinese-made plywood and cabinetry  and related antidumping actions by the Department of Commerce and its International Trade Commission have led some firms to try to circumvent the law to avoid tariffs. The subject will be addressed at the 2019 Executive Briefing Conference April 14 in a presentation by John Sherwin, Project Manager for custom research at Freedonia Group.
 
For its compliance courses, IWP is partnering with the American Home Furnishings Alliance on a series of our Wood Trade Compliance Training and Due Diligence Tools courses - Wood Trade Compliance Training, Advanced Wood Trade Compliance Training, and Audits for the Wood Trade Professional - February 11-13 in High Point, North Carolina.
 
These courses feature hands-on exercises and insights for professionals buying and selling wood products with the latest information to help them comply with the Lacey Act and other important laws relevant to the trade in wood products. Recently updated, the Advanced Wood Trade Compliance Training course will walk participants through the Lacey Act settlement agreements including the Young Living settlement was well as an overview of the Enforce and Protect Act and duty circumvention cases. 
 
Pending the partial federal government shutdown, limited travel funding is available to attend these courses for qualifying small- and mid-sized companies from the U.S. Forest Service. 

Wood Trade Compliance Training - Monday, February 11

This full-day course provides attendees with a comprehensive analysis of the requirements of the Lacey Act and other laws relevant to the trade in wood products.

Advanced Wood Trade Compliance Training – Tuesday, February 12

This full-day advanced course builds on the topics covered in the original Wood Trade Compliance course for the wood trade professional developed in coordination with World Resources Institute. Sourcing strategies, risk assessment methods, validation of supplier compliance to requirements and updates on the latest regulations and enforcement actions will be covered.

Audits for the Wood Trade Professional - Wednesday, February 13

This half-day program introduces the wood trade professional to the key components of an audit, the critical post-audit next steps of addressing non-conformities and corrective actions and some common techniques for conducting desk and site audits.
 
Established in 1956, the International Wood Products Association’s (www.IWPAwood.org) mission is to build acceptance and demand in North America for globally sourced wood products from sustainably managed forests.  IWPA is the leading international trade association for the North American imported wood products industry, representing 200 companies and trade associations engaged in the import of hardwoods and softwoods.  Association members consist of three key groups involved in the import process: U.S. importers and consuming industries, offshore manufacturers and the service providers that facilitate trade.   www.IWPAwood.org
 

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About the author
Bill Esler | ConfSenior Editor

Bill wrote for WoodworkingNetwork.com, FDMC and Closets & Organized Storage magazines. 

Bill's background includes more than 10 years in print manufacturing management, followed by more than 30 years in business reporting on industrial manufacturing in the forest products industries, including printing and packaging at American Printer (Features Editor) and Graphic Arts Monthly (Editor in Chief) magazines; and in secondary wood manufacturing for WoodworkingNetwork.com.

Bill was deeply involved with the launches of the Woodworking Network Leadership Forum, and the 40 Under 40 Awards programs. He currently reports on technology and business trends and develops conference programs.

In addition to his work as a journalist, Bill supports efforts to expand and improve educational opportunities in the manufacturing sectors, including 10 years on the Print & Graphics Scholarship Foundation; six years with the U.S. WoodLinks; and currently on the Woodwork Career Alliance Education Committee. He is also supports the Greater West Town Training Partnership Woodworking Program, which has trained more than 950 adults for industrial wood manufacturing careers. 

Bill volunteers for Foinse Research Station, a biological field station staddling the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland, one of more than 200 members of the Organization of Biological Field Stations.