GERMANY – Koelnmesse is organizing this year’s interzum, to be held from 4 to 7 May 2021, as a purely digital event.

CHINA – On January 31^st Koelnmesse had announced it was postponing CIFM/interzum guangzhou 2020, which was originally scheduled to be held at the China Import and Export Fair Complex (Pazhou Complex) from March 28-31. The measure was taken then due to the on-going novel coronavirus pandemic.

COLOMBIA – Madecentro, Colombia’s leading retail chain specializing in supplies for carpentry and the wood processing industry, reaches 150 stores in the country.

U.S. – Ikea Retail U.S. will temporarily close all 50 store locations across the U.S. and the Ikea Planning Studio in Manhattan. This decision was taken by Ikea leadership as a pre-cautionary measure due to the rapidly evolving novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

ARGENTINA – Egger, manufacturer of a wide range of wood-based products for the furniture industry, interior design, construction and flooring, opened in March two new Egger Haus stores in Argentina.

CHILE – Falabella, Ripley and Paris also close.

NETHERLANDS/CHINA – On March 10 Inter IKEA Systems B.V. (owner of the IKEA concept and global franchisor), IKEA Retail China and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. launch the first virtual IKEA store during a digital signing ceremony via Taobao Live Streaming from IKEA Shanghai Baoshan and Hangzhou Ali Park.

USA – Atlantic Plywood, a wholly owned subsidiary of Parksite, is expanding their business into the Southeast and will be the exclusive Formica distributor in these markets effective April 6th.

PERU – In January 2020, Peruvian imports of particleboard / MDP (PB / MDP) amounted to USD 9.07 million, which represented a strong increase of 40.4 percent compared to the same month of 2019 (USD 6.46 million).

COLOMBIA – In 2019, Colombian particleboard (PB) / MDP imports reached USD 101.26 million. Exceeding USD 100 million for the second year.

USA – Less than two weeks from a February 20th U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) final hearing, The American Coalition of Cabinet Distributors (ACCD) remains confident that the ITC will find that imports of Ready-to Assemble (RTA) cabinets have not injured the petitioners in the Wooden Cabinets and Vanities from China trade case.

CHINA – In the response to the Chinese government’s call for strict and effective disease control of coronavirus outbreak, IKEA Retail China is temporarily closing all its stores in mainland China until further notice, effective from January 30. IKEA Retail China (Ingka Group) has 30 stores and about 14,000 co-workers in China.