North American structural panel producers may benefit from new regulations in Japan governing formaldehyde emissions in certain building materials.
The new laws apply to 15 categories of interior finishing materials used on residential construction, including plywood and OSB structural panels, flooring, MDF and particleboard according to the newsletter Random Lengths International.
Materials listed in the regulations must be tested for formaldehyde emission levels and certified before being sold in Japanese markets. However, North American structural panel producers already meet the standards outlined, which may give them an advantage in Japan if other countries are forced to alter their production processes to comply with the new laws.
