Log exports from Washington, Oregon, northern California and Alaska increased by just under 2% in volume to 466 million board feet in the first quarter of 2014 compared with the fourth quarter of 2013 according to the US Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station. Source: Forest Industry Service
During this same period, West coast lumber exports decreased by more than 11% to 257 million board feet.
Also in the first quarter of 2014, the total value of West coast log exports increased by more than 6% to $369 million, while the total value of lumber exports decreased more than 10% to US$186 million.
“West coast and US log exports to China were stable in the first quarter of 2014,” said Xiaoping Zhou, a research economist with the station who conducted the analysis and compiled the data.
“China’s demand for US lumber increased just slightly, by 2% during this quarter, but lumber exports specifically from the West coast to China decreased 17% compared to the fourth quarter of 2013. East coast exports made up for these shortfalls.”
Total US log exports increased nearly 11% in volume in the first quarter of 2014 compared with the fourth quarter of 2013, while the value increased by more than 12%.
Total US lumber exports in the first quarter of 2014 increased by less than 1% in volume compared with the fourth quarter of 2013, while the value increased by just under 6% In the United States, 41% of outgoing logs and 35% of outgoing lumber were destined for China in the first quarter of 2014, compared with 44% of logs and 30% of lumber in the fourth quarter of 2013.
Compared with the same period last year, West coast exports increased by 11% for logs and by 17% for lumber.
Sixty-four percent of the West coast’s log exports were shipped to China in the first quarter of 2014, compared with 59% in the first quarter of 2013.
West coast lumber exports to China represented 43% of the total exports, compared with 37% during the same period last year.
Mr Zhou compiled the statistics using data from the US International Trade Commission and Production, Prices, Employment, and Trade in Northwest Forest Industries, an annual station publication that provides current information on the region’s lumber and plywood production as well as employment in forest industries.
