LEGISLATIVE LOG
The Hardwood Federation Looks to 2021: Policy Priorities and The Biden Administration
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fter the challenges of 2019, primarily related to the negative impacts the U.S. – China trade dispute had on the hardwood industry; we were all ready for a better and brighter 2020. Just a year ago, the Hardwood Federation and our industry members were celebrating the removal of the retaliatory tariffs on our products and looking forward to increased shipments to China.
Of course, new issues and difficulties pop up when you least expect them, but no one anticipated something on the scale of a worldwide pandemic. As an industry, we worked hard, were deemed essential, secured federal financial assistance through the Payroll Protection Program, and all did the best that we could. Now we find ourselves in 2021, still in the midst of the COVID crisis, sifting through the results of a contentious election and figuring out how to work with the new Administration and Congress. The Federation will continue to be at the tip of the spear for our industry in Washington, D.C., and look forward to the challenges and opportunities 2021 is sure to bring. President Joe Biden was sworn into office on January 20, 2021, at noon. Federal government leadership is now set for the next two years with Democrats in control of the White House and both chambers of Congress (although by razor-thin margins.)
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Obviously, it is early, and policies will be more fully developed over the coming months. Still, there are some indications of the types of challenges and opportunities Washington, D.C. will present to the hardwood industry in the near future. The number one priority for the President and his team is clearly addressing the ongoing human and economic impacts of the COVID-19 virus. The good news is that multiple vaccines have been developed and distributed, with more on the horizon. Implementing policies and strategies that increase the rate of inoculation for the entire U.S. population is top of the list. Coming in a close second is providing economic support to individuals and businesses that continue to struggle as significant portions of the economy remain shuttered. Longer-term, the Administration has made clear that they will make climate change a centerpiece of their agenda throughout their time in office, incorporating climate considerations across government agencies and departments. This is a challenge certainly, but it is also an opportunity for the entire wood products industry, including hardwoods, to present ourselves as part of the solution to climate change concerns, with many tools at our disposal, including sustainable
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