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The US Department of Commerce says it has made a final decision to more than double countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber imports, a move business groups in British Columbia say will harm communities on both sides of the border. Source: The Global News A statement from the American department says the duty for most Canadian companies is being increased to 14.63%, up from 6.74%, after it determined softwood lumber from Canada was being unfairly subsidized. The increase is on top of a recent jump in anti-dumping duties to 20.56%, bring the total duty level for Canadian softwood to 35.19%. The department says it will now instruct US Customs and Border Protection to begin collecting the money. Kurt Niquidet, president of the BC Lumber Trade Council, said in a statement that the decision places unnecessary strain on forestry-dependent regions in Canada while driving up construction costs for American builders. The council says both the Canadian and US governments need to make resolving the long-standing softwood lumber dispute a top economic priority. “In the absence of a negotiated settlement, BCLTC will continue working closely with the Government of Canada and industry partners to defend Canadian interests through all available legal channels, including proceedings under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement,” the statement says. The BC Council of Forest Industries says the provincial government needs to take action including streamlining permitting processes, activating provincial timber sales and removing cross-ministry bottlenecks. “With the right policy tools, British Columbia (BC) can send a strong message that it is committed to creating a climate where primary and secondary forest manufacturers want to invest, ensuring a steady supply of wood products for BC, Canada, and beyond,” President Kim Haakstad said in a statement. Prime Minister Mark Carney was in BC promising Can $700 million in loan guarantees for the industry and Can$500 million for long-term supports to help companies diversify export markets and develop their products.

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A German company is building sturdy, low-carbon buildings using substandard wood, by making wooden bricks. This innovative construction method has already been used in many buildings including a major supermarket in Germany. Source: Timberbiz TriqBriq is the start-up that is making the bricks that fit together using wooden dowels rather than motar or glue. So far, the company has built 15 building including the supermarket and it is working to move to full automation. For the first time, a supermarket was built entirely with TriqBriq’s timber construction system. The 1,100 square metre store sets new standards in resource-saving construction. The load-bearing wall construction consists of around 11,000 micro-modular wooden building blocks – known as BRIQs – which are made from industrial and calamity wood as well as reclaimed wood. This innovation allows wood to be used that would otherwise have been quickly burnt – this conserves resources and is good for the environment. The BRIQs are stacked dry on the building site and connected with beech wood dowels – completely without adhesives or other artificial fasteners. This means that the building can be completely dismantled and offers maximum flexibility for future conversions. Thanks to the innovative structural concept, it was also possible to realise smaller foundations and significantly reduce CO₂-intensive concrete. As a result, the new building saves around 50% of emissions compared to conventional construction methods. This store shows how modern retail architecture and genuine sustainability can go together. Circular construction means that what is a market today can be something completely new tomorrow – without any demolition or waste.

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The European Federation of Wooden Pallet and Packaging Manufacturers (FEFPEB) has advised that the forthcoming EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will not have significant implications for customers using wood pallets and packaging for transport. Source: Timberbiz The organisation, which represents the European pallet and packaging sector, issued a customer information statement to customers on the forthcoming regulation, which requires businesses to prove products on the EU market have not been sourced from recently deforested land or contributed to its degradation. In a newsletter to FEFPEB’s membership, the organisation’s secretariat said packaging would only become subject to the new EUDR rules when placed on the market for the first time as a standalone product, with its status changing as immediately when it is used. “As soon as the pallet or packaging is used to support, protect or carry another product, it is no longer covered by the EUDR, even if it is listed separately on the invoice of a product or when it is returned by a retailer to its supplier,” it said. “Once the concerned packaging becomes a packaging material used exclusively as packaging material to support, protect or carry a product, it is then not covered by the scope 27 of the Regulation.” It added that selling or renting used packaging material to other companies, as happens in pallet pooling systems, for example, is not subject to EUDR. “Similarly, empty packaging material already used for the first time to support, protect or carry another product, for instance when traded within a closed loop exchange system (i.e., pallets transferred from one company to another to be reused for transport) is not covered by the Regulation,” said FEFPEB’s advice. FEFPEB Secretary General Fons Ceelaert said: “FEFPEB’s membership and association pooling businesses are fully supportive of EUDR’s aims to protect forests around the world. We have produced this guidance to share with customers and the supply chain to give clarity on the implications of these regulations.”  

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Interpine’s internship will be based with its GIS and Remote Sensing team. The main focus will be working with ultra-dense LiDAR data to extract and measure 3D tree profiles, using techniques including deep learning and virtual reality. Source: Timberbiz This is a great opportunity to gain valuable experience working with skilled forestry, remote sensing and GIS professionals, and to get an insight on how an effective team operates in an environment that interests you. Experienced gained in this position could be the starting point of an exciting professional career in the forestry industry. What you’ll bring: A high level of attention to detail An excellent analytical ability Problem solving skills Excellent computer skills Candidates should be studying towards a degree in Computer Science, GIS or Forestry. Experience using GIS software (eg ArcGIS), and programming knowledge (Python or R) and an understanding of AI concepts such as computer vision, natural language processing (NLP), and deep learning would be very beneficial. What Interpine offers: Experience working with cutting edge LiDAR and Virtual Reality technology in an industry leading company. Variety of work, from GIS to LiDAR analysis and computer engineering / programming. Great office environment and location, based in Rotorua and within walking distance to Rotorua’s famous Redwoods walking and mountain biking tracks. The position will in New Zealand at Rotorua lakes with surrounding bush and mountains. Boating, mountain biking, tramping, hunting and fishing are all on the doorsteps of a beautiful city with affordable housing. Rotorua’s central location means most of the North Island is within easy driving reach. Your application should include a CV stating any work experience, a copy of your academic record, and a cover letter which includes your reasons for applying for a summer student internship position with Interpine. Applications should be emailed to: admin@interpine.nz The internship will run from mid-November 2025 until early February 2026 including a 2-week (unpaid) shutdown over Christmas and New Year.  The successful applicant will be required to undergo pre-employment screening. Applications close Sunday, 14 September 2025

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Selecting which trees to retain and which to remove during thinning is one of the most crucial decisions in managing a production forest. Source: Timberbiz This decision can directly impact the long-term success of a forest investment, affecting both yield potential and forest health. Whether the task is done with a chainsaw, chemically or with a mechanised machine, developing decision-making skills and supporting personnel to optimise yield potential are key skills that need to be developed by forest managers and workers alike. To support this, scientists at the Bioeconomy Science Institute/Scion have conducted research for the Forest Growers Research (FGR) Precision Silviculture Programme (PSP) to map the critical decisions undertaken in a thinning operation.  These findings are now being applied to another PSP innovation, Scion’s virtual reality (VR) thinning training tool, offering a unique approach to developing crop tree selection and other critical thinning tasks in a fully immersive, virtual environment. Analysing real-world decision-making and integrating it into VR enables workers to effectively learn crop tree selection and other key tasks in a safe, controlled realistic virtual environment before applying them in the field. The study identified enhancement opportunities for the VR platform to address other practical challenges, such as navigating dense regeneration, canopy variability and felling direction planning, while reinforcing safe practices and engaging thinning workers during early training. The research team employed a variety of methods, including expert interviews and a focus group, followed by a thematic template analysis and a hierarchical task analysis, to identify the decision points, motor-manual thinning work and other tasks that define a typical day for a silvicultural thinner. The entire thinning sequence was mapped to pinpoint where experience and environmental uncertainty intersect. Insights from expert thinners emphasised the dynamic nature of field-based judgment and highlighted the limitations of traditional training methods, which often fail to replicate the complexity and unpredictability of real-world thinning operations. The gamified nature of the VR training has been shown to not only to enhance engagement but reinforce safe practices, ultimately reducing the time needed for trainees to reach proficiency in high-risk roles. This approach represents a significant leap toward safer and more effective thinning operations. By embedding these insights into digital training tools, the forestry industry can improve both decision quality and operational efficiency, leading to better outcomes in precision silviculture. Go to https://fgr.nz/document/thinning-decision-making-insights-for-virtual-reality-applications/ to see the PSP programme Technical Report – Insights for Virtual Reality (VR) Applications

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Growing Taranaki’s manufacturing sector in New Zealand and boosting high-value exports are key to the future prosperity of the region, according to ANZ NZ’s Taranaki Regional Spotlight report, powered by Dot Loves Data. Source: Timberbiz “Manufacturing is emerging as a cornerstone of Taranaki’s economic future,” says Lorraine Mapu, ANZ NZ’s Managing Director of Business and Agri. “Historically oil and gas has underpinned the region’s export economy, but this report highlights a shift in export earnings, with dairy overtaking oil and gas as the top export earner. “As we look to the future, other sectors – in particular manufacturing, which currently makes up around 15– 20% of regional GDP – need to grow for the region to thrive.” Ms Mapu says there is huge potential for the region, but it will require coordinated action at pace and investment across industry, government, and the financial sector. “With the right support, these manufacturing businesses, with their skilled workforce and capacity to think differently, can lead the way in building a more diverse, resilient and globally connected economy. “We need a continued focus on trade agreements and export opportunities, incentives to stimulate innovation and investment, and more of our New Zealand businesses exporting into overseas markets,” she says. The report shows that in 2024 Taranaki’s manufacturing output was worth NZ$1.7 billion, with wood processing, such as timber panels, plywood and joinery, and food product manufacturing, especially dairy based foods, playing key roles. A standout example is New Plymouth-based engineered timber company Taranakipine which has invested heavily in state-of-the-art milling technology and has worked hard to develop overseas markets. “They are now in a competitive position globally, with a fire-retardant building product available to be used in the rebuild of Los Angeles, following the wildfires earlier this year,” Ms Mapu says. More than half of the country’s $5.8 billion in forestry exports in 2024 were raw logs and poles, but the report reveals that value-added wood processing businesses have real potential to generate strong export earnings. “High-value wood products including engineered timber command premium prices in global markets,” says Mapu. “These are helping to position New Zealand as a global leader in sustainable forestry and advanced manufacturing.” The report also reveals that Taranaki has more businesses per working population than other similar North Island regions, and that 92% of these have fewer than 20 staff. “The positive impact the oil and gas industry has had on the region – such as a highly skilled workforce – also provides momentum in other sectors,” Ms Mapu says. “Small and medium-sized business are often more agile and innovative – they have to be – so anything we can do to help these businesses grow and hold onto that skilled workforce, will lead to greater regional resilience and a stronger sense of community.” ANZ’s Chief Economist Sharon Zollner says Taranaki’s diverse economy has helped navigate the ups and downs of economic, commodity and policy cycles. “In recent years there has been a significant shift in where export earnings come from. “In 2008, oil and gas exports earned the region twice as much as dairy, but in 2024 that has reversed, with dairy now earning three times as much as oil and gas. “Amid these changes, we’ve seen the value of the region’s strong manufacturing base and its longstanding agricultural backbone. “This report provides a timely spotlight on the contribution Taranaki makes, not only to economic activity of New Zealand as a whole, but also how we pay our way in the world,” Ms Zollner says. ANZ’s Taranaki Regional Spotlight report is the first in a series of in-depth data-driven economic snapshots from ANZ and insights company Dot Loves Data. The reports seek to identify where the greatest opportunities for economic growth lie, and what needs to be done to fully realise the region’s economic potential.

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Forestry Corporation’s Sales and Planning teams have welcomed heritage timber bridge restoration experts from Placemaking NSW, Transport for NSW and Broockmann Water Advisory to the North Coast for a guided tour of native hardwood production forests. Source: Timberbiz The visit offered a rare opportunity for the NSW Government’s bridge team to see first-hand where the high-quality, naturally durable timbers essential to their restoration work are sourced. “This was a fantastic opportunity to connect the dots between sustainable forest management and heritage timber bridge preservation,” Carl Broockmann said. “It’s great to see how our work in the forest directly supports the longevity of some of the state’s most treasured landmarks and most important public infrastructure,” he said. Placemaking NSW manages Pyrmont Bridge, the oldest continuously operated electric swing span bridge in the world. The bridge, constructed in 1902, has 2 steel spans and 12 timber spans built with over 900 tons of renewal hardwood timber sourced from the north coast of NSW. The NSW Government has announced a contribution of $59.6million dollars to the restoration of Pyrmont Bridge timber trusses over the coming 10 years. This work is important to keep the vital pedestrian and cycleway route open between Pyrmont and the Sydney CBD. “High quality and durable timbers of large diameter with specific strength and durability requirements are needed for the Pyrmont Bridge restoration that are only available in NSW native forests,” David Glasson said. The Transport for NSW Bridge team is also responsible for maintaining 27 timber bridges of historical and engineering significance across NSW. Alan Pottie of TfNSW said ‘many of these bridges will require restoration over the coming 10 years and will require a steady supply of hardwood timber sourced from the north coast region’. “These structures require premium-grade timbers such as Ironbark, Tallowwood, and Blackbutt—species native to NSW and not available anywhere else in the world,” he said. During the tour, FCNSW staff showcased their sustainable harvesting practices and planning processes that ensure the long-term viability of these valuable timber resources. The visit also allowed FCNSW teams to gain insight into the end uses of their products and the critical role they play in preserving NSW’s infrastructure heritage. The tour highlighted the importance of collaboration between forestry and infrastructure teams and reinforced FCNSW’s commitment to responsible resource management.

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