IWPA Launches National Due Care Training Program for Wood Trade Professionals
In-Depth Courses Will Empower Executives and Compliance Staff and Help Avoid Lacey Act Violations
ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 19, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On the heels of Lumber Liquidator's $13.5 million dollar settlement with the Department of Justice on Customs Law and Lacey Act violations, the International Wood Products Association (IWPA) has launched a nationwide due care training program for wood trade professionals to help them establish standard operating procedures to comply with the Lacey Act. The training course, "Seeing the Forest and the Trees," is designed for CEOs, CFOs, buyers, compliance staff, customs specialists, sales staff, overseas producers and exporters and was developed in partnership with the World Resources Institute utilizing U.S. Agency for International Development funding. The course provides attendees with a comprehensive analysis of the requirements of the Lacey Act and other laws relevant to the trade in wood products.
"IWPA developed the due diligence training and resources for wood trade professionals to empower the wood products industry and provide them with the tools they need to successfully fulfill their role in sourcing decisions," said IWPA Executive Director Cindy Squires. "There is no 'one-size-fits-all' approach to sourcing and compliance. These due diligence tools reflect the legal requirements and the industry's need for flexibility to adjust their corporate standards and procedures based on the particular specifications of their product, the country of origin and the complexity of their supply chain."
The courses will be taught at day-long sessions spread around the U.S. throughout 2016 in an effort to arm those buying and selling wood products with the latest information about resources and procedures that will allow them to tailor a compliance system for their own market niche. Courses will be held on the flowing dates and cities: May 19 – High Point, North Carolina; May 24 -- Pomona, California; May 26 – Portland, Oregon; June 21 – Chicago, Illinois; Aug. 23 – Atlanta, Georgia (immediately prior to the International Woodworking Fair 2016); Sept. 21 – Alexandria, VA. Individuals attending will also receive IWPA's Formaldehyde Fact Sheet for importers, prepared in cooperation with the California Air Resources Board. Registration for the six regional courses is open at www.iwpawood.org.
"This program will help foster a culture of professionalism that will be an asset not only to individual companies, but to our industry as a whole. We will continue to urge Congress to focus the federal government's limited enforcement resources at those who are not working in good faith to comply with the requirements of the Lacey Act and to recognize the abilities of small to medium-sized businesses in implementing with this far reaching law," Squires concluded.
See more details on IWPA's Due Care Compliance Training Series.
Established in 1956, the International Wood Products Association's (www.IWPAwood.org) mission is to build acceptance and demand in North America for globally sourced wood products from sustainably managed forests. IWPA is the leading international trade association for the North American imported wood products industry, representing 200 companies and trade associations engaged in the import of hardwoods and softwoods. Association members consist of three key groups involved in the import process: U.S. importers and consuming industries, offshore manufacturers and the service providers that facilitate trade.
SOURCE International Wood Products Association
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