Ho, ho…oh no! As the holiday season passes, many in the construction and remodeling industry are facing not only continued tariffs on many imports from China, but also a doubling of the tariff on Canadian softwood lumber imports. At the same time as prices increase, popular federal COVID-19 relief programs are coming to an end. Even with these potential headwinds, NKBA’s Q3 Kitchen & Bath Market Index (KBMI) reports the industry is positioned for another strong year ahead!
— Steven Campeau
Manager, Governance
scampeau@nkba.org
FEDERAL ACTIVITY
U.S. – Canada Lumber Trade: The U.S. Department of Commerce has officially doubled the average tariff on Canadian softwood lumber to 17.9% from 8.99%, which will likely impact the construction industry.
U.S. COVID-19 Relief: As popular COVID-19 relief programs come to an end, including the popular Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), the U.S. Department of Treasury announced $10 billion in funding for the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI).
Building Electrification: Movement to ban natural gas use in buildings gains momentum in states, as the federal government and the Biden Administration roll out further support for building decarbonization and electrification to combat climate change.
U.S.- China Tariffs: U.S. businesses, former government officials, and current Treasury Secretary Yellen state reduction of tariffs on imported goods from China could ease inflation.
STATE ACTIVITY
New Jersey: Assembly Bill 5160 which seeks to amend energy and water efficiency standards in New Jersey, passes the Senate and awaits signature by the Governor.
North Carolina: Governor signs Senate Bill 329 into law, which raises the threshold for needing an architect or engineer to obtain a permit for a small commercial project from $200K to $300K.
Oregon: New energy efficiency standards for 11 products, including kitchen and lavatory faucets as well as residential ventilating fans, went into effect on January 1st.
South Carolina: Legislature introduces Senate Bill 888 that would allow contractors, while applying, reinstating, or renewing their contractors license, to voluntarily contribute to an accredited public institution of higher learning offering courses in building science or civil engineering.
Wyoming: Legislature prefiled bill D-215 considering imposition of the sales tax on sales of engineering and management services, including architectural services.
COVID-19 RESOURCES
To keep current on what individual states are doing to combat COVID-19, this interactive map, online platform and resource center might be of interest. The interactive map shows all COVID-19-related legislative activity that each state has enacted, while the online platform and resource center provide important information related to COVID-19. Interested in learning more about COVID-19 vaccinations? Track vaccination doses by state here.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Federal and State Legislative Contacts
Interested in some of the topics above? Don’t forget to contact your Federal and State Legislators to let them know your thoughts! Legislative staff are available to answer any questions on legislation, or walk you through governmental processes.
NKBA Legislative Contact
NKBA will monitor relevant legislative developments at the state and federal levels, and, where appropriate, provide information to members concerning material issues and developments — including laws and regulations that might impact the kitchen and bath industry. If you have any questions or comments on legislation or have suggestions on topics you want to see in future newsletters, please reach out directly to Steven Campeau, NKBA’s Governance Manager, at scampeau@nkba.org.
NOTE: NKBA is providing this material for general information only. This information does not constitute the provision of legal advice, tax/investment advice, accounting services or professional consulting of any kind, nor should it be construed as such. NKBA is not a lobbying organization and does not have a Political Action Committee (PAC). Resources such as this are meant solely for informational purposes.
