Kazakhstan and Armenia formalise visa-free travel
Kazakhstan has completed the ratification of a migration cooperation agreement with Armenia, marking a new phase in simplifying cross-border movement ...
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Saturday directing a new national security investigation into imported lumber under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.
The probe, aimed at potentially imposing additional tariffs on imported lumber and its derivative products, comes as part of broader efforts to rebuild U.S. production of the critical commodity.
The order mandates that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick complete the investigation within 270 days. It covers not only raw lumber but also derivative products—such as kitchen cabinets—where U.S.-harvested lumber may be exported and then re-imported. In a related measure, Trump’s order calls for agency heads to implement new steps within 90 days to streamline the permitting process for harvesting timber from public lands and to enhance the salvage of fallen trees, aiming to increase the domestic supply of lumber.
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro emphasized that the probe is intended to counteract actions by major lumber exporters, including Canada, Germany, and Brazil, which he accused of “dumping lumber into our markets at the expense of both our economic prosperity and national security.” Any tariffs imposed as a result of the investigation would be added to existing duties, including a combined 14.5% anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariff on Canadian softwood lumber. These tariffs stem from a longstanding U.S.-Canada dispute over Canada’s low stumpage fees on public lands—a practice Washington argues amounts to an unfair subsidy.
The new probe is the third tariff-related investigation ordered by Trump in the past week. It follows his directive earlier this month to launch a Section 232 investigation into copper imports and a separate order reviving investigations into tariffs on goods from countries imposing digital services taxes on U.S. technology companies. Trump has also threatened a 25% general tariff on all Canadian and Mexican goods unless those countries address border security and curb fentanyl trafficking.
A White House official underscored the national security risks posed by an increasing reliance on imported lumber, noting that the U.S. military consumes significant quantities of the commodity for construction projects, even though domestic supplies are ample. Home builders, however, have long criticized existing tariffs for raising lumber prices and contributing to home price inflation.
As the Commerce Department gears up to complete its investigation, industry watchers and policymakers alike will be closely monitoring the potential impact on domestic lumber production and U.S. trade relations with key partners.
Video from the USGS (United States Geological Survey) showed on Friday (19 September) the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupting and spewing lava.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
Authorities in California have identified the dismembered body discovered in a Tesla registered to singer D4vd as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been missing from Lake Elsinore since April 2024.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
Giorgio Armani's deputy managing director, Giuseppe Marsocci, is set to be appointed chief executive of the Italian fashion house, a source said on Thursday, confirming a local media report.
Tesla has told the Delaware Supreme Court that Elon Musk’s $56 billion pay package should have been restored last year through a shareholder vote, as the company appeals a lower court ruling that rescinded the CEO’s record compensation.
Wall Street closed sharply higher on Monday, led by gains in Broadcom and other chipmakers, as investors were reassured by U.S. President Donald Trump’s conciliatory tone on renewed U.S.-China trade tensions.
Lawyers warn that the case could eventually involve up to 1.8 million UK drivers across 14 brands, potentially making it the largest consumer class action in British legal history.
European stock markets opened the week on a positive note, buoyed by hopes of easing trade tensions between the U.S. and China and declining geopolitical risks in the Middle East.
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