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U.S. hardwood lumber
exports up more than 5 per cent |
 American hardwoods exports are up more than 5% for the year to date with declines in China, Japan and Spain offset by rises in Australia, Vietnam, the United Kingdom and Canada. According to new data provided by the United States Department of Agriculture, Australia is still the United States'fastest-growing market for hardwood exports, with shipments of predominantly Red Oak (a substitute for Victorian Ash) rising more than 50% from January to October. The data also reveals that China is still the top market for hardwood lumber in the United States, accounting for 819,000 cubic metres of wood traded from US ports. However, although China accounted for 34 per cent of total exports, its share of total trade fell by more than 3 per cent, and actual exports fell by 4 per cent, with Vietnam (up 26 per cent to 359,000 cubic metres), Canada (also up 8 per cent to 425,000 cubic metres), the United Kingdom (up 16 per cent to 107,000 cubic metres) and Australia (up 50 per cent to 28,000 cubic metres) compensating for the declines in China and Spain. (up 16% to 107,000 cubic metres), the UK (up 50% to 28,000 cubic metres) and Australia (up 50% to 28,000 cubic metres) made up for declines in China, Japan and Spain. Of the 2.42 million cubic metres of hardwood lumber traded on global markets, Red oak (28% of total volumes, or 646,000 cubic metres) and White oak (21%, or 508,200 cubic metres) dominate containers, whilst yellow poplar (11%, 266,200 cubic metres) and walnut (9% ¨C 217,800 cubic metres) also comprise a substantial portion of hardwoods traded on global markets. New data last month showed that annual U.S. hardwood production fell to 5,543,898.7 million board feet last year, the lowest level since 1960 and less than half the 1999 peak of 12,619,000 board feet. Speaking at the International Hardwood Conference in Austria, Michael S Snow, the American Hardwood Export Council Executive Director, revealed that the slowdown in production can be attributed to a significant drop in domestic demand for hardwoods across all applications. ¡°Where the US market once swallowed 86% of all American hardwoods (in 1999), the local market (in 2018) accounted for just 56% of all hardwoods, with 26% now being re-routed and traded into China (up from just 0.4% in 1999),¡± Mr Snow said. As the world¡¯s largest exporter of hardwood, Mr Snow said the United States had offset declining local demand for hardwood by rapidly expanding trade in logs and lumber into global markets¡ªnot just through China but also through India, the Middle East, Pakistan, Southeast Asia, and Europe. |
