Timber Talk 9/1/26

Jenna Reese
1 day ago
6 min read

OFA Update

OFA supports Ohio's forest products industry

Despite the United States' strong record of preventing deforestation through sustainable forest management, the EUDR's complex reporting requirements place significant burdens on the U.S. forest sector – especially small forest landowners and family tree farms. This grassroots letter to the President asks for the Administration to address EUDR in trade talks with the EU. Read the full letter we signed at the below link.

READ HERE

Register Now for the 2026 Lumberman's Outing

We are hoping to increase registrations

with some more familiar faces at this year's fundraiser benefitting the Lumberman's Benevolent Fund. On September 9, 2026, Fire Ridge Golf Course and Airport Ridge Sporting Clays will host us for a day of golfing and clay shooting in Millersburg, Ohio, followed by a catered reception. It's time to putt, shoot, and eat to support foresters who have suffered industry-related injuries. Follow the link below to register, and contact OFA staff to inquire about sponsorship opportunities. This event is brought to you by the OFA Foundation.

Volunteer at the 2026 Paul Bunyan Show

We are just one month away from the 2026 Paul Bunyan Show and we can't wait to celebrate our 20th year at the Guernsey Co. Fairgrounds! Over 160 exhibitors will join us to showcase their products to thousands of excited attendees. Look out for your complimentary tickets from OFA that will come from a @fairs.com email address just after Labor Day. If you would like to be more involved or see what it's like behind-the-scenes, send us an email at info@ohioforest.org to inquire about volunteer opportunities. For more information about the event visit www.thepaulbunyanshow.com. We look forward to seeing you in October!

Please join us at this year's NHLA convention!

We are proud to be exhibiting and sponsoring a special welcome gift for each attendee at the 2026 NHLA convention! We look forward to sharing a taste of Ohio with all registrants.

Each year, thousands of sawmill owners, lumber buyers, manufacturers, suppliers, and wood products professionals come together to shape the future of the industry at the largest and longest-running hardwood industry gathering in North America. Visit the website for more information and to register. Use discount code OFAMEMBER if you are already an NHLA member, and OFAMEMBER2, if you aren't an NHLA member yet, to get your ticket for just $650.

Chainsaw Safety Awareness that Works

OFA's CSAW program provides quality chainsaw safety education for anyone operating a chainsaw, from professional loggers to landowners, city/county workers, emergency response teams, volunteers and anyone else using a chainsaw for work or casual reasons. The CSAW program offers different levels of classes from in-depth tree felling and bucking to general chainsaw maintenance and safety.

MORE INFO

Market Update

HardwoodReview Forecasting

After months of relative price stability—with supply and demand equally low—the summer lull has knocked quite a few KD prices lower in Aug, some rather significantly. Green prices have been edging slowly lower since Feb, in contrast, and remain weaker still than KD prices. However, a rebound is not out of the question.

The EUDR is slated to go into effect on Dec 31. Though AHEC has developed a scientifically robust deforestation-free assurance program, which is actually workable for U.S. hardwoods, European authorities have not yet accepted it as an alter-

native to EUDR’s geolocation requirements. Absent such approval, or last-minute revisions to EUDR, U.S. hardwood shipments could slow markedly in Jan—not just to EU member nations but also to all nations supplying manufactured products to the EU, most notably Vietnam. On the one hand, European buyers could be scrambling by year-end to get lumber in before Jan. On the other hand, Vietnam and other suppliers may soon begin slowing purchases of what could be non-compliant U.S. hardwoods. Should a short-term spike to Europe materialize—and be greater than combined reductions to other nations—U.S. producers will struggle to meet the demand increases and prices will respond accordingly.

Legislative Update

The following is brought to us by our national partner, the Forest Resources Association (FRA)

Trade

Over the past week, U.S.–Canada trade negotiations collapsed after last‑minute changes from the U.S. side, ending hopes for a near‑term agreement. At midnight on August 24, the tariff increases previously threatened by the Trump Administration went into effect. These new U.S. tariffs impose 50% duties on more than 500 Canadian product categories, including lumber, plywood, moldings, and furniture components.

On Tuesday, Canada announced its response: retaliatory tariffs of up to 50% on a broad set of U.S. products entering Canada, mirroring the scope of the U.S. tariff list released on August 22. Canada’s measures will take effect on September 8 and include steel, aluminum, appliances, dairy products, and derivative goods. The listing of forest products can be found under wood products and pulp and paper, directly affecting cross‑border shipments central to the sector. Canada is the United States’ largest export market, purchasing roughly 17–18% of all U.S. exports each year, and bilateral trade is economically essential—representing about 25% of U.S. GDP and more than 60% of Canada’s GDP.

Product List 1

Product List 2

The President signaled on Monday via Truth Social that the U.S. intends to “retaliate for the retaliation,” indicating that tariffs on several U.S. export categories—including steel—may be increased to 50%. This suggests further escalation is possible.

European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)

This week, a letter was sent to the President urging him and his trade team to press the European Union to recognize the United States as a low-risk country under the EUDR and to demand the removal or revision of unnecessary compliance requirements that are problematic for the forest products supply chain. The letter, signed by FRA and 300 other organizations and more than 700 individuals, is available here.

Copied on the letter are the U.S. Trade Representative, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Agriculture.

Transportation

Truckload spot rates climbed 32.4% year‑over‑year in Q2, with Q3 tracking toward a 43% increase, the steepest inflation since 2021. This surge is not driven by freight demand, which remains below 5% year‑over‑year. Instead, federal Commercial Driver's License (CDL) enforcement, especially the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) rule targeting non‑domiciled CDL holders, is driving a structural capacity contraction, with estimates that nearly 200,000 drivers (5% of interstate CDL holders) could exit the market. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that payroll employment has declined for 38 straight months, and more than 50,000 carriers have left the industry. For forestry, this trucking capacity squeeze may lead to financial strain and inefficiencies throughout the wood supply chain.

The chart compares General Freight Trucking, Local (log hauling) and General Freight Trucking, Long‑Distance (lumber, paper, OSB, etc.), both indexed to Feb 2020 = 100. Local trucking rises steadily but more moderately, reflecting short‑haul, metro‑area freight patterns. Long‑distance trucking climbs faster and remains higher, showing stronger inflationary pressure in interstate and regional freight markets. Local freight and long-distance freight have increased by 30% and 45%, respectively, since 2020.

Safety Update

Sedgwick Safety Services

BWC’s Safety Grants program

On August 17th, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) announced it is reopening its Safety Grants program, making more than $41 million available in fiscal year 2027 to help Ohio employers invest in equipment that keeps workers safe and reduces injuries. Eligible employers may now begin submitting new applications online.

Three different grant programs are available for eligible employers:

Safety Intervention Grant (SIG)

This program is available to any Ohio private or public employer covered by the State Insurance Fund. It allows employers to purchase equipment to significantly reduce or eliminate injuries and illnesses associated with a particular task or operation. Recipients are eligible for a 3-to-1 matching grant, up to a maximum grant award of $40,000 for each three-year eligibility cycle. This means you receive $3 for every $1 you contribute as the employer. In return, employers must submit a one-year case study one year after the implementation date of the intervention.

Firefighter Exposure to Environmental Elements Grant (FEEEG)

This grant aids firefighters’ protection from exposure and dangerous environmental elements. Eligible safety equipment includes turnout gear, lifting tables, diesel exhaust systems, extractors/washing machines for turnout gear or personal protective equipment, hoods with barrier protection, turnout gear drying machines and washable gloves.

School Safety and Security Grant (SSSG)

This grant helps employers ensure the safety of staff who instruct children throughout the state. Eligible equipment includes safety items such as slip-resistant flooring, safe food fryers, floor cleaning machines, secured keycard systems, security doors, trauma kits and many other items.

Refer to the BWC safety grants webpage for exclusions, additional details on eligible items and to apply: https://info.bwc.ohio.gov/for-employers/safety-services/safety-grants or email Sedgwick for additional information at sedgwickohriskservices@sedgwick.com.