by Web Editor | Apr 22, 2015 | News
Total exports of U.S. hardwood lumber and veneer to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region reached a record USD 108.93 million for the year 2014, according to the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the leading international trade association for the American hardwood industry. The statistics, which have been compiled from the latest data released by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), reveal an overall 20 percent increase over 2013 figures. The announcement was made on the sidelines of the Dubai WoodShow 2015 where AHEC is hosting the largest ever American Hardwood Pavilion, featuring twenty-one U.S. hardwood lumber and veneer exporters.
According to the data released, exports of American hardwood lumber reached a value of USD 79.07 million and a volume of 98,425 cubic meters during 2014. This equates to an increase in value of 23 percent over 2013 and an increase in volume of 8 percent. Direct exports of U.S. hardwood veneers to the MENA region reached a total value of USD 29.86 million last year, rising by 12 percent from 2013. However, it is important to note that American hardwood veneers are also shipped to the region from European countries and China, while veneers are also produced in the region – notably in Turkey – from imported American hardwood logs. U.S. hardwood log exports to the MENA region reached a total volume of 34,957 cubic meters and a value of USD 20.47 million in 2014.
Commenting on the record exports to the region, Roderick Wiles, AHEC Director for Africa, Middle East, South Asia and Oceania, said: “The most significant increases in shipments of U.S. hardwood lumber were seen in the United Arab Emirates (up by 48 percent to 15,723 cubic meters), Egypt (up by 22 percent to 11,614 cubic meters), Jordan (up by 18 percent to 5,949 cubic meters), Lebanon (up by 23 percent to 4,735 cubic meters), Qatar (up by 55 percent to 3,015 cubic meters) and Morocco (up by 31 per cent to 2,329 cubic meters). However, a marginal downturn in volume of only 2 percent was seen in shipments to Turkey, which reached 12,700 cubic meters and a slight downturn was seen in shipments to Saudi Arabia, which reached 10,513 cubic meters.”
From Zawya: https://www.zawya.com/story/Exports_of_US_hardwood_lumber_to_MENA_reaches_record_USD10893m_in_2014-ZAWYA20150415105310/
by Web Editor | Mar 11, 2015 | News
The Canadian OSB manufacturer Ainsworth Lumber Co. has reported another strong growth in its overseas operations, which focus on serving Asian markets, in the 2014 financial year.
Shipments to Japan were just shy of the previous year at 224.1m sqft (3/8″ basis). Exports to other overseas markets more than tripled to 120.5m sqft. This upswing was primarily driven by the addition of China as a selling market last year.
Deliveries to the U.S. improved 10 % to 1.257bn sqft. Ainsworth reaped the rewards of the weaker Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar here. However, Ainsworth sold just 152.3m sqft in Canada. Ainsworth’s total sales thus increased 9 % to 1.755bn sqft or about 1.550m m³ last year. Production rose by a similar amount to 1.751bn sqft.
This growth was primarily fueled by Ainsworth ramping up output at its mill in High Level, Alberta, which resumed operations in the third quarter of 2013. This factor offset longer market-related downtime than the previous year at its three other facilities.
From EUWID: https://www.euwid-wood-products.com/news/roundwoodsawnwood/single/archive/2015/march/Artikel/ainsworth-shipped-more-osb-to-asia-last-year.html
by Web Editor | Feb 13, 2015 | News
From: Panel World Staff
The Vienna International Wood Products/Markets Conference, Expo & Tours will be held June 16-21 in Vienna, Austria. The event is organized by International Wood Markets Group, Inc. and Georgia Research Institute.
On June 16 will be an invitation-only Schweighofer Prize reception and dinner. The Schweighofer Prize ceremony is held every two years and awards money for technologies, products and services that strengthen the competitiveness of the European forest-based industries. More than 600 international delegates from 40 countries are expected to attend.
The conference and expo will be held June 17 at the Hotel Savoyen Vienna. Speakers from Europe and worldwide will address trends, issues and outlooks in international sawn wood and panel markets, including Europe, Russia, China, Middle East and North America. The full day conference will assess global market opportunities and wood products trade. Concurrently on June 17 an all-day wood products equipment supplier exposition will be held adjacent the conference.
June 18-19 will feature an Eastern Austria Industry Tour of mills producing lumber, cross laminated timber and engineered wood products. The tour starts and ends at the conference hotel in Vienna, with one night spent outside of Vienna.
On June 20-21, Schweighofer will host a tour in the Radauti area of Romania of its large single line sawmill, a laminated post-and-beam plant, an edge-glued panel plant, particleboard plant and pellet mill. The tour will spend two nights in Radauti and ends at the Vienna Airport.
Read more on this story in the March 2015 issue of Panel World…
by Web Editor | Aug 9, 2012 | Update
Governor Bob McDonnell announced that following Virginia’s year-long efforts, and hosting of a Chinese technical delegation of plant pest officials, China has agreed to a six-month pilot project that will begin re-opening the Chinese market to Virginia’s hardwood and softwood log exporters. While technical details are still being finalized, Virginia logs will be allowed to enter China immediately via designated ports and with enhanced pest treatment and testing protocols under the terms of the pilot project.
In April 2011, China banned hardwood and softwood log exports from Virginia and South Carolina, citing pest interceptions. Following a mission to China, McDonnell invited technical experts from China to visit Virginia and observe how logs are harvested, inventoried and undergo treatment or testing to prevent the unintended transport of pest organisms. The McDonnell administration also worked closely with federal agencies involved in trade negotiations with the China.
Once a Chinese visit was established, the Virginia Dept. of Agricultural and Consumer Services put together a comprehensive program for the team of officials from China’s Inspection and Quarantine Bureau (CIQ) including site visits, which demonstrated the effectiveness of treatment, tracking and inspection protocols currently in place to guard against unwanted pests being transported in log shipments.
Last year the value of Virginia’s log exports into the global marketplace was nearly $57 million, down $10 million from 2010. Prior to the ban, Virginia was a major East Coast supplier of logs to China, the world’s largest log importer.
