Key Currency Exchange Rates for Friday, 1/20/23

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Heidi Brock, representing U.S. pulp, tissue, paper, and paper-based packaging manufacturers, today issued the following statement: “AF&PA appreciates the U.S. government’s engagement in securing an initial EU trade deal that will advance reciprocal, fair and balanced trade between our two economies. As non-tariff trade barrier negotiations continue – and to further support U.S. forest product producers' ability to continue shipping over $3.5 billion in essential products to the EU – we urge the Administration to secure a U.S. exemption from the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). “As recognized by USTR’s April National Trade Estimate Report, EUDR in its current form fails to recognize the realities of robust sustainable forest management (SFM) systems in the United States. Although the United States is not a source of global deforestation concerns, it is subject to many of the same burdensome obligations as countries with high deforestation risks. EUDR’s key compliance barrier, strict geolocation traceability, constitutes a significant non-tariff trade barrier, especially given the nature of U.S. pulp & paper supply chains.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) has expressed support for the U.S. administration's recent efforts to address trade challenges with the European Union, particularly regarding non-tariff barriers affecting the paper and forest products industry. In a statement released following U.S.-EU trade negotiations, AF&PA President and CEO Heidi Brock welcomed the administration’s commitment to fostering fair and reciprocal trade. She emphasized the importance of tackling both tariff and non-tariff obstacles to safeguard U.S. exports. One of the AF&PA’s key concerns is the European Union’s Regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR), which the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has classified as a non-tariff trade barrier. According to the association, the regulation could put at risk more than $3.5 billion in annual exports of U.S. forest products to the EU.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.798801; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.157767; American Dollar to Euro = 1.134769; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.008787; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.048892.