After the U.S. hit Russia with a 200% tariff on all imports of aluminum in recent weeks, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Customs) issued guidance for companies importing aluminum and aluminum derivative products, tracing their origins. Guidelines require companies to report the countries of smelt and cast for aluminum articles, including, among other items, profiles, plates, […]

A cohort of construction-related organizations sent a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce secretary Gina Raimondo last week, urging Commerce to examine the supply chain for lumber. With lumber prices increasing by more than 180% since last spring, and prices for oriented strand board (OSB) nearly tripling, “We respectfully request that your office examine the […]

There are many questions surrounding the distribution of vaccines, including who will have access to them next and whether or not contractors and other employers can legally require vaccinations as part of the job. To provide some answers, the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America hosted a webinar titled, “Sticking Points: What Construction Employers Need […]

The U.S. has reimposed a 10% tariff on non-alloyed unwrought aluminum imported from Canada, citing a substantial increase in imports over the period from June 2019 through May 2020. The tariff will take effect August 16, 2020. The U.S. originally imposed a 10% tariff on Canadian aluminum in March 2018 as part of Proclamation 9704, […]

“Following regulatory issues right now is like doing the Texas two-step,” said Kathy Krafka Harkema, U.S. codes and regulatory affairs manager for the Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA). “When they move, they move faster than I have seen in my life,” she added, when addressing members this morning during a meeting of the Regulatory […]

After an overwhelming majority vote in the Senate last week, President Donald Trump has officially signed the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade deal in a ceremony that took place at the White House today. The USMCA replaces the nearly 25-year-old trade deal North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). “Everybody said this was a […]

Organizations in the fenestration industry are hopeful after the announcement of an agreement between the U.S. and China on what the government is calling the Phase One trade deal that may reduce current tariffs and canceled tariffs set to go into effect December 15. The office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) released a statement […]

After more than a year since the U.S., Canada and Mexico came to an agreement on a new trade deal to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), House Democrats and the White House have agreed on new terms for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). In a press conference, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced […]

A week after announcing increases to tariffs levied against China, U.S. officials eased the pain for door and window manufacturers drawing on North American markets by lifting steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico. That relief comes via an amended North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which manufacturers suggest will lessen the burdens on […]

Despite months of negotiations, President Donald Trump announced an increase in tariffs on more than $200 billion worth of Chinese products Friday. Fenestration products—including iron, steel and wood door, window and frame components—are among the Chinese goods affected by the newly imposed 25% tariff, up from the 10% rate implemented in September 2018. The administration also […]