Weekly Quiz: Which construction materials are not covered by the EU-US trade deal? AGC price inflation data

1) 1. This week the United States and European Union agreed a new trade agreement introducing a baseline 15% tariff on most European exports. Which construction-related materials will continue to face tariffs as high as 50% under the new agreement?

• Cement and concrete
• Timber and insulation
• Steel and aluminium

2) 2. According to a new analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), the cost of materials used in non-residential construction in the USA ticked upward again in June, with prices for key commercial inputs rising 0.2% compared to May and 2.3% year-on-year. Which material category saw the largest year-on-year increase in June, according to the AGC analysis?

• Bar joists and rebar
• Lumber and wood products
• Fabricated structural metal

3) US-based Aecom has announced it secured three contracts from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Honolulu District worth more than US$400 million to provide architect-engineer services in support of critical infrastructure projects across the Pacific region. What types of work is expected to be covered by the task orders?

• Road resurfacing and vehicle procurement
• Housing construction and park design
• Modernisation, coastal engineering, utilities, and logistics

4) Construction attachment tools specialist Engcon this week signed an agreement to supply tiltrotators and other Engcon products to the dealers and distributors of which major OEM?

• Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe)
• Caterpillar
• Volvo Construction Equipment

5) Hitachi Energy has partnered with hydrogen supplier Air Products and contractor Dura Vermeer to test the use of its HyFlex hydrogen fuel cell generator. What was the main purpose of the demonstration?

• To recharge an electric excavator using clean energy
• To generate hydrogen on-site for storage
• To demonstrate hydrogen-fuelled hot air balloons can lift construction materials on site in place of tower cranes

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