Breaking News:  EU Parliament Approves One-Year Delay for EUDR

Today the European Parliament voted to approve the European Commission’s recommendation to delay the E.U. Deforestation Rule (EUDR) by 12-months, pushing the law’s implementation date to December 30, 2025, instead of the end of the current year. The European Commission and European Council must now consider several amendments also passed by the Parliament before writing the new implementation dates and amendments into EU law. Although this is a positive step forward, challenges still remain for the U.S. industry exporting to the EU.  For details, please see AHEC’s November 14 memorandum.  

New Congress is Taking Shape

A week following the election, details continue to unfold related to the make-up of the new Congress. The Senate has been relatively quick to materialize and will flip to the GOP, which has a 53-47 advantage over Democrats.  However, we note that the Pennsylvania Senate race is headed towards a mandatory recount as the margin of victory is less than 0.5%. On Wednesday, GOP senators tapped John Thune (R-SD) to serve as Majority Leader, beating rival Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Rick Scott (R-FL). On the House side, the GOP has gained a razor-thin majority, with the current count standing at 208 to 218 and nine more races yet to be called.  The Federation will keep you posted on developments. 

HFPAC Candidates Enjoy a Landslide

HF-supported candidates, all proven industry supporters or key committee leaders prevailed in the vast majority of both House and Senate races.  Out of 94 PAC-supported candidates up for re-election, 86 have won their races so far.  This translates to a success rate of about 90%.  The winners include 76 out of 84 House members, with two races undecided.  On the Senate side, the PAC scored 10 wins out of 10 candidates.  It’s worth noting that PAC candidates came from 32 different states in every region of the country. 

East Coast, Gulf Port Contract Negotiations Hit Rough Waters

On Tuesday, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) which represents dockworkers and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), representing port operators, continued contract negotiations.  The parties have been aiming to agree to a new contract before the extension expires on January 15, an agreement reached in early October following a brief work stoppage. On Wednesday, once again disagreement over the automation issue prompted the ILA to walk away from the bargaining table, leaving negotiations in limbo. USMX has issued a statement outlining disagreements with the dockworkers and expressing optimism for resumption of negotiations.  The Federation will keep you posted on developments. 

The Hardwood Federation is moving!  The Hardwood Federation offices will be moving as of Friday, November 8, 2024.  We will continue to co-locate with the American Forest & Paper Association in downtown Washington, D.C. 

Our new address is:

Hardwood Federation

601 Thirteenth Street, NW, Suite 1000 N

Washington, D.C.  20005

Phone numbers and email addresses will remain the same.

Make a Difference in Washington, DC! As 2024 enters the final quarter, please consider a corporate contribution to the Hardwood Federation to support services related to the Federation’s activities that promote the U.S. hardwood industry through advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and the Administration. With a crucial election just a few short weeks away, 2025 will present new challenges and opportunities to promote the industry.  For more information on supporting the Federation, please click here.