Japan: Japan Grants Equivalence Recognition to US-Graded Norway Spruce Lumber

On March 31, 2021, Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism expanded its recognition of American Lumber Standard Committee’s (ALSC) grading of the Spruce-Pine-Fir South (SPFs) grouping to include U.S.-grown Norway spruce lumber. Now, U.S.-grown Norway spruce dimension lumber certified as SPFs by a U.S. grading agency no longer requires further approval prior to use in 2x4 construction in Japan. ALSC added U.S.-grown Norway spruce to its SPFs grouping in 2016.