JPITIA

primarily with hard' wood plywood from the Philippines, Korea and Taiwan.

Quatity Seai

Qudity Seal: Efiective at once, a new quality seal will appear on all Japenese plywood exports. It will bear the initialsin English-JPMA-signifying Japan Plywood Manufacturers' Association. To use the seal, Japanese makers will have to meet highest production standards originally set in 1950 and upgraded several times over the past decade. Tests and inspections cover basic raw materials through each produc' tion step insuring uniformity of finish and constructive before the JPMA seal can be used. New steps in inspection standards include constant development of special equipment and of trained inspectors to control every square foot leaving the Country. Under government regulations, the Japan Plywood Inspection Corporation, head' quartered in Tokyo has 1I branch offices and their tests include those for efficiency cohesion, as well as intensive inspection to insure compliance with grading standards for veneers, grooved plywood, re-finished plywood, and others. including fancy and decorative plywoods.

IJ. S. Promotiorml Campaign.' An intensive international campaign has been launched to make the JPMA seal and standards known to both industry and user sources. A key element will be a new English language four color brochure "Look for this Mark of Quality Plywood" -which will be available without charge to trade sources. Write Ray Josephs Asso' ciates, 230 Park Avenue, New York; or Jack Whitehouse, Hal Stebbins Incorporcted.9229 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles; or Japan Trade Center, Plyrvood Section, World Trade Center, San Francisco I1, California.

Quotas: Voluntary Japanese quotas plus increasins domestic demand will prevent uny por.ibl" over-supply. Some sour-ces be' lieve that U. S' quotas may even be liberalized in 1963, despite current higher import duty agitation. Trade sources stress that failure of import restriction bills intro' duced several times in the U. S. Congress is attributable to the fact that the U. S' demand for quality plywood for use in flush doors and interior panelling resulted in the creation of the market. Thus Japan in efiect created its special market rather than seeking to secure part of an existing market.

Desire lor Improrted Product: The grow' ing taste change in the U. S. toward more use of natural wood grains is regarded as a highly favorable trend for the Japanese induitry. Some 80/o of the total plywood exported from Japan uses Lauan from South Pacific countries. The remainder em' ploys Japanese sen, shina, birch, and beech-the first two are Japanese exclusives with beautiful grains, especially effec' tive after processing,

New U. S. DemaniL Trend's: Primary in' creases in U.S.-Japanese plywood use are expected to come from employment for flush doors and residential and commercial wall panelling. Japanese plywood exports to the U. S. and Canada in recent years have been primarily of 16 to 37 inches wide and 76 to 86 inches long door sizes-17/g" thick. Other popular sizes: 4 x B feet; 4 x 7 feet. Thicknesses vary between 3/16, r/4, r/2 and 3/a of an inch.

Handwork

Emphasis on Hand Work: Japanese pro' ducers are now concentrating on better plywood grades employing delicate and skillful handwork available there. In short, the aim is to make the product as difierent as possible from the mass-produced out' put-thus helping to create more exclusive markets. Japan's progress in developing processing machines, materials, and techniques has given her the advantage of industrial-scale and large mill capacity operations, while retaining the tradition and methods of hand craftsmanship. Efnciency of U. S. shipping connections should

(Continued, on Page 68)

(The complete Door.and.Frame packaged unit) are notv available to

As one of our dealers, you will receive the following cooperation:

. Your name, with others, will be mailed out on inquiry.

. We can include your name in our contractor advertising.

. We provide you with stufiers.

. We provide free newspaper mats.

. We nrovide counter literature.