Woodworking Business

You are not logged in. [ Login ] Why log in
(NOTE: Login is not required to post)

Hardwood Ply Tariffs= Discontinued UV Coated Birch

5/21/18       
Steven

Was told by a lumber co. sales rep today that they are discontinuing UV finished chinese birch plywood due to the hardwood plywood tariffs referenced in the article linked to below.

He said they will be replacing it with UV finished pine plywood since it's a softwood and not subject to the tariff.

Just curious if anyone else's suppliers are doing the same and how you feel about using prefinished pine ply for kitchen/bath interiors.

Coalition for Fair Trade of Hardwood Ply

5/21/18       #2: Hardwood Ply Tariffs= Discontinued ...
Family Man

One of my suppliers kicked around this idea enough that they had a batch run. It was almost identical in color and only a professional would be able to tell the difference. The veneer is so thin that its softness/hardness makes no difference at all. In the end this supplier went a different route for pricing reasons but it was a good product.

5/21/18       #3: Hardwood Ply Tariffs= Discontinued ...
cabmaker

Where is the pine plywood manufactured?

5/21/18       #4: Hardwood Ply Tariffs= Discontinued ...
Steven

Manufactured in China. Radiata pine.

5/22/18       #5: Hardwood Ply Tariffs= Discontinued ...
cabmaker

Steven,

All the sheet goods I buy are made in Oregon. All of them come pre-finished.

If you are having a difficult time finding pre-finished material where you live it is because your peers have voted with their pocket book and signaled to the distributors they would rather have less expensive material than domestic material.

If we can get sheet goods pre-finished you can too.

5/22/18       #6: Hardwood Ply Tariffs= Discontinued ...
Realist

Cabmaker my reason for buying Chinese plywood specifically Dragonply was simple I had a defect rate of zero with this product. With every single domestic manufacturer I had average claims of $15-$20k per year based on $1.5mil in purchases. To be blunt the Chinese got my money because the domestic suppliers produced garbage in comparison. Bully for you that Roseburg, States, Columbia, or Timber Products works, my customers are now getting an inferior domestic product.

5/22/18       #7: Hardwood Ply Tariffs= Discontinued ...
Collin Parker  Member

Website: heritagewoodwright.com

Long story short, everyone sling radiata right now, due to tariff. It will be replaced so don't worry, just caught up in the supply chain chaos. I'd love to switch domestic, prices are not there in any way shape or form, including value. When domestic suppliers offer a better VALUE then we will switch.

5/22/18       #8: Hardwood Ply Tariffs= Discontinued ...
Family Man

We have found that certain imports were better and some much worse than domestic. We were able to in the last few years specify the mill it came from, usually each mill was branded a certain way with a supplier, and it worked well.

5/22/18       #9: Hardwood Ply Tariffs= Discontinued ...
Family Man

Oh if it was only that simple. First, you are ignoring what has been repeated here by the majority of the posters. We were getting a better quality product on the import.

Secondly, we are not all operating in the middle of one of the hottest housing markets our country has ever seen like you. We are faced with competition, real competition- our customers to quote/summarize you "if they can pay 100k for cabinets can pay double that." You don't live in reality.

Would I rather keep Oregonians working? Most certainly. But only if they can make a product that is of better quality that I could buy for 40% of the cost of their inferior product. Better yet, stop the inferior product from entering the country completely and make the domestic manufacturers actually compete instead of their one selling point being "made in the USA."

I certainly want the world one way until I get it I have to make the hard choices when faced with reality. I'll pay double for clothes made in the US, but I expect them to be US quality not the same or worse with a flag on the tag.

5/22/18       #10: Hardwood Ply Tariffs= Discontinued ...
cabmaker

FamilyMan,

Let me re-phrase that.

My suspicion is that most people who buy import plywood do so because of price.

They may rationalize it as being a quality issue but the real reason is profit. If the quality was the same for both domestic and import they would still buy import if it cost less.

You can put as much lipstick on this as you want but it still comes down to price.

If the Chinese will sell it to you for less they get your business.

I am not saying that's necessarily a bad thing. But you should at least own it.

5/23/18       #11: Hardwood Ply Tariffs= Discontinued ...
Family Man

What should be owned is that every domestic plywood I have found when measuring from corner to corner is 1/6-1/4" (yes 1/4") out of square. When cutting euro boxes on a traditional tablesaw that is a dealbreaker. The import also has less knots and has a more solid,less void core.

5/23/18       #12: Hardwood Ply Tariffs= Discontinued ...
cabmaker

FamilyMan,

You wrote: "Better yet, stop the inferior product from entering the country completely and make the domestic manufacturers actually compete........ "

Has it occurred to you that the same policies that would keep inferior products from entering the US would also keep superior products locked out?

How does this benefit the American consumer?

5/23/18       #13: Hardwood Ply Tariffs= Discontinued ...
cabmaker

A more general question might be why should we protect manufacturers rather than consumers?

5/23/18       #14: Hardwood Ply Tariffs= Discontinued ...
Steven

I would say the most basic and evident reason is that many Americans rely on the success of manufacturing businesses to keep them employed.

If manufacturing suffers due to unfair trade practices and those people lose their jobs, then they are no longer consumers for anything without a source of income.

So in that sense we would be protecting both manufacturers and consumers

I'd rather have a source of income and have to be more discretionary and prioritize my consumption then not be able to consume anything at all.

Every citizen can't be in the service, education, or tech industry.

5/29/18       #15: Hardwood Ply Tariffs= Discontinued ...
Mark B Member

Why in the heck should you be concerned with your product coming in "out of square"? Its your job (what your being paid for) to make it "square".

We bring in laid up panels from our distributor all the time. 1/2" BB with laminate front and backer, they are not even close to square. They are not even trimmed. There is laminate hanging over the edges? Backer hanging over the edges? Who gives a crap if its square?

OUR job is to make it square? This isnt roof framing or wall sheathing?

That one makes no sense.

7/30/18       #16: Hardwood Ply Tariffs= Discontinued ...
Charlie W Member

I agree with you MarkB. Squareness should not be a consideration. I learned to build cabinets in a two table saw shop, it's not that hard. You cut off the factory edge, right? If you rip your panels first then cross cut with a crosscut jig....


Post a Response
  • Notify me of responses to this thread
  • Subscribe to email updates on this Forum
  • To receive email notification of additions to this forum thread,
    enter your name and email address, and then click the
    "Keep Me Posted" button below.

    Please Note: If you have posted a message or response,
    do not submit this request ... you are already signed up
    to receive notification!

    Your Name:
    E-Mail Address:
    Enter the correct numbers into the field below:
     

    Date of your Birth:



    Return to top of page

    Buy & Sell Exchanges | Forums | Galleries | Site Map

    FORUM GUIDELINES: Please review the guidelines below before posting at WOODWEB's Interactive Message Boards (return to top)

  • WOODWEB is a professional industrial woodworking site. Hobbyist and homeowner woodworking questions are inappropriate.
  • Messages should be kept reasonably short and on topic, relating to the focus of the forum. Responses should relate to the original question.
  • A valid email return address must be included with each message.
  • Advertising is inappropriate. The only exceptions are the Classified Ads Exchange, Machinery Exchange, Lumber Exchange, and Job Opportunities and Services Exchange. When posting listings in these areas, review the posting instructions carefully.
  • Subject lines may be edited for length and clarity.
  • "Cross posting" is not permitted. Choose the best forum for your question, and post your question at one forum only.
  • Messages requesting private responses will be removed - Forums are designed to provide information and assistance for all of our visitors. Private response requests are appropriate at WOODWEB's Exchanges and Job Opportunities and Services.
  • Messages that accuse businesses or individuals of alleged negative actions or behavior are inappropriate since WOODWEB is unable to verify or substantiate the claims.
  • Posts with the intent of soliciting answers to surveys are not appropriate. Contact WOODWEB for more information on initiating a survey.
  • Excessive forum participation by an individual upsets the balance of a healthy forum atmosphere. Individuals who excessively post responses containing marginal content will be considered repeat forum abusers.
  • Responses that initiate or support inappropriate and off-topic discussion of general politics detract from the professional woodworking focus of WOODWEB, and will be removed.
  • Participants are encouraged to use their real name when posting. Intentionally using another persons name is prohibited, and posts of this nature will be removed at WOODWEB's discretion.
  • Comments, questions, or criticisms regarding Forum policies should be directed to WOODWEB's Systems Administrator
    (return to top).

    Carefully review your message before clicking on the "Send Message" button - you will not be able to revise the message once it has been sent.

    You will be notified of responses to the message(s) you posted via email. Be sure to enter your email address correctly.

    WOODWEB's forums are a highly regarded resource for professional woodworkers. Messages and responses that are crafted in a professional and civil manner strengthen this resource. Messages that do not reflect a professional tone reduce the value of our forums.

    Messages are inappropriate when their content: is deemed libelous in nature or is based on rumor, fails to meet basic standards of decorum, contains blatant advertising or inappropriate emphasis on self promotion (return to top).

    Libel:   Posts which defame an individual or organization, or employ a tone which can be viewed as malicious in nature. Words, pictures, or cartoons which expose a person or organization to public hatred, shame, disgrace, or ridicule, or induce an ill opinion of a person or organization, are libelous.

    Improper Decorum:   Posts which are profane, inciting, disrespectful or uncivil in tone, or maliciously worded. This also includes the venting of unsubstantiated opinions. Such messages do little to illuminate a given topic, and often have the opposite effect. Constructive criticism is acceptable (return to top).

    Advertising:   The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not an advertising venue. Companies participating in a Forum discussion should provide specific answers to posted questions. WOODWEB suggests that businesses include an appropriately crafted signature in order to identify their company. A well meaning post that seems to be on-topic but contains a product reference may do your business more harm than good in the Forum environment. Forum users may perceive your references to specific products as unsolicited advertising (spam) and consciously avoid your web site or services. A well-crafted signature is an appropriate way to advertise your services that will not offend potential customers. Signatures should be limited to 4-6 lines, and may contain information that identifies the type of business you're in, your URL and email address (return to top).

    Repeated Forum Abuse: Forum participants who repeatedly fail to follow WOODWEB's Forum Guidelines may encounter difficulty when attempting to post messages.

    There are often situations when the original message asks for opinions: "What is the best widget for my type of shop?". To a certain extent, the person posting the message is responsible for including specific questions within the message. An open ended question (like the one above) invites responses that may read as sales pitches. WOODWEB suggests that companies responding to such a question provide detailed and substantive replies rather than responses that read as a one-sided product promotion. It has been WOODWEB's experience that substantive responses are held in higher regard by our readers (return to top).

    The staff of WOODWEB assume no responsibility for the accuracy, content, or outcome of any posting transmitted at WOODWEB's Message Boards. Participants should undertake the use of machinery, materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB's Message Boards after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages it deems inappropriate. (return to top)


  • Forum Posting Help
    Your Name The name you enter in this field will be the name that appears with your post or response (return to form).
    Your Website Personal or business website links must point to the author's website. Inappropriate links will be removed without notice, and at WOODWEB's sole discretion. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    E-Mail Address Your e-mail address will not be publicly viewable. Forum participants will be able to contact you using a contact link (included with your post) that is substituted for your actual address. You must include a valid email address in this field. (return to form)
    Subject Subject may be edited for length and clarity. Subject lines should provide an indication of the content of your post. (return to form)
    Thread Related Link and Image Guidelines Thread Related Links posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should point to locations that provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related Link that directs visitors to an area with inappropriate content will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    Thread Related File Uploads Thread Related Files posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. Video Files: acceptable video formats are: .MOV .AVI .WMV .MPEG .MPG .MP4 (Image Upload Tips)   If you encounter any difficulty when uploading video files, E-mail WOODWEB for assistance. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related File that contains inappropriate content will be removed, and uploaded files that are not directly related to the message thread will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links, files, or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)