Mexico is America’s largest buyer of lumber, with the North American trading partner replacing China as the United States’ top export market.

That is according to the US Department of Agriculture, which reports that Mexican traders imported more than 469,000 cubic metres of lumber from the United States (23% of the total export market) for the four months to April, with more than 130,000 cubic metres in April alone.

The strong sales to Mexico come as trade in American lumber has slowed in China, down 70,000 cubic metres (or 469,900 cubic metres to 399,300 cubic metres) from the first four months of 2023. Canada, America’s third largest export market, is also closing in on China (378,100 cubic metres, up from 311,300 cubic metres).