By Sean Petterson
A massive 35% tariff migration of the Canadian softwood wood is about to go – and the sea industry is located exactly in the crosshairs. Only last year the tariff was 14.4%, but with an additional 20%that are effective, the pressure on boat builders and marine suppliers will intensify.
In the case of already stressed supply chains, prices for essential materials such as marine plywood, top cores and structural frames could increase. During the flash crisis from the Covid era, the disorders of the supply chain led to quadruple prices, which led to headstream costs and serious production delays. This time the Fallout could be even heavier – but it also opens the door for a more intelligent, more resistant approach to boat building materials.
Supplier turbulence in the marine industry
The marine sector strongly depends on some important sources for building materials. Canada delivers 85% of US softwood timbering, whereby additional sources such as Russia and China include a significant share. In front of new tariffs, the supply disorders of Covid-19 and geopolitical tensions revealed how vulnerable global wood flows are.
For the marine industry with residues in resins, epoxy, epoxy and special component-another shock for wood supply could trigger months-long boat yard delays and increasing costs for new buildings and retrofitting.
The environmental costs for sea plywood
While the attention of the media is often concentrated on the CO2 footprint of emerging industries such as AI, the wooden harvest contributes to almost 10% of global carbon emissions – compared to the estimated 2–3.7% emission components of AI. The logging for sea plywood removes crucial carbon sinks and accelerates soil erosion, the loss of the habitat and the collapse of biological diversity.
The chemical treatments that make to the production of water-resistant plywood resins (such as phenol-formaldehyde resin) to the production of water-resistant plywood resins. Studies show that these chemicals can damage water life and accumulate the food chain and threaten both wild animals and human health.
Health risks in closed sea spaces
Formaldehyde, often used in marine plywood and particle adhesives, is classified by the National Cancer Institute as a well-known human carcinogen. According to the EPA, the formaldehyde exposure in interior air is often ten times the targets of the agency's risk level.
This applies in particular in narrow boat huts and closed environments, in which the outgassing of materials can accumulate. Occupation members, boat drivers and shipyards are particularly susceptible to increased formaldehyde exposures – but only a few alternatives have been widespread.
The argument for rethinking sea building materials
The doubling of the home wood is not the answer. The expansion of wood production leads to its own environmental costs and would probably promote the marine material prices even higher. Innovation, no replication, is the key.
Recycled plastics, especially polyethylene (HDPE) with high density, now offer a convincing alternative to traditional sea bulb. Recent studies and internal tests show that HDPE panels also exceed the highest grades of traditional plywood for strength, flexibility and weather resistance. They are completely waterproof and UV-resistant, which makes them ideal for fuselage reinforcements, decks, cupboards and other sea treatments.
A rich, unused resource
The United States produces an estimated 35 million tons of plastic waste every year, a large part of which runs on landfolter or incineration plants. If you use this almost endless domestic resource for sea tree materials, this would reduce the dependence on volatile foreign suppliers and at the same time take up environmental and health effects.
In contrast to wood, recycled plastic composite materials do not require toxic chemical treatments, are immune to putrefaction and offer a longer lifespan to save the owners and builders considerable time and maintenance costs over the lifespan of a ship.
A call for action for the sea industry
The marine sector was always defined by resilience, ingenuity and the adaptation of the drive. Regardless of whether the new wooden tariffs remain on the spot or not, is now time to invest in alternatives that protect the environment, improve ship performance and future supply chains.
Innovation is in the DNA of Boating – and the materials we use should reflect this spirit. It's time to get a new course for cards.