Consumers are constantly choosing between the quality and price of a product or service.  All too often, consumers are forced to accept lower quality because of budget constraints.  And unfortunately, imported plywood panels coming into North America are not always what they seem despite manufacturer’s or distributor’s claims. APA – The Engineered Wood Association has cautioned the marketplace to beware of imported panels from China and Brazil that are either unmarked or improperly or fraudulently labeled.  APA conducted tests to benchmark the adhesive, mechanical and connection properties of uncertified Imported plywood relative to North American plywood certified to U.S. Product Standards PS 1.  The results indicated that many Imported uncertified plywood panels exhibited inferior mechanical and connection properties and had excessive levels of formaldehyde.   For Industrial applications, Imported plywood’s reputation for widespread quality and performance issues demonstrates that it is a difficult product to work with.  APA adhesive test results revealed the Chinese plywood tested failed the boil-cycle and vacuum-soak tests indicating the use of non-moisture resistant adhesives that emitted high levels of formaldehyde in excess of CARB limits.  All APA certified PS 1 panels are explicitly exempt from formaldehyde regulations.  APA edge and face screw withdrawal test results revealed values for Chinese plywood averaged 75% and 81% of PS 1 plywood for edge and face screw withdrawal values respectively. In Concrete Forming applications, the most prevalent formwork activities associated with construction worker safety are concrete pouring, formwork erection, and formwork stripping.  Uncertainties and randomness in material properties of Imported plywood make it difficult to assess the safety risk associated with the strength of the concrete form panels and the reliability of the formwork designs to safely withstand the levels of loading without failure.  APA bending test results revealed the Chinese plywood tested had lower bending strength along the strength axis; bending stiffness (EI) and maximum moment (MM) were 55% and 71% respectively of PS 1 conforming panels. Richply manufactures plywood to North American Product Standards under Quality Assurance by APA – The Engineered Wood Association.  All plywood manufactured by Richply is stamped with APA trademarks and grade stamps that simplify the specification, identification and use of plywood structural panels.  Consumers can be confident that Richply panels provide consistent and reliable performance.  APA Product Advisory: Imported Hardwood Plywood vs. Domestic PS 1, Form SP-1136. (2007) APA Product Advisory: Imported Plywood Panels from Brazil Form SP-1185. (2018)