Log exports from Washington, Oregon, northern California, and Alaska totalled 272 mmfbm in 1Q 2015, a decrease of nearly 16 per cent compared to 4Q 2014, the US Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station reported Wednesday. During this same period, west coast lumber exports declined 4 per cent in volume to 162 mmfbm.
Log and Lumber Exports, US
The total value of these log exports decreased by more than 21 percent to $200 million, while, for lumber exports, the total value decreased by more than 3 percent to $123 million compared to the fourth quarter of 2014.
“Although China’s importation of west coast logs and lumber decreased in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the first quarter of 2014, China remains the dominant consumer in the west coast’s export market,” said Xiaoping Zhou, a research economist with the station who conducted the analysis and compiled the data. “Sixty-three per cent of the west coast’s log exports and more than 28 per cent of its lumber were shipped to China in 1Q 2015.”
Other highlights:
- Nationwide, total US log exports increased nearly 12 per cent in volume in 1Q 2015 compared to 4Q 2014, while the value decreased by a half per cent;
- Nationwide, total US lumber exports in 1Q 2015 decreased by more than 4 per cent in volume compared to 4Q 2014, while the value decreased by more than 6 per cent;
- West coast log exports represented 37 per cent of total US log exports in 1Q 2015, down from 53 per cent in 4Q 2014. West coast lumber exports represented 21 per cent of total US lumber exports, down from 29 per cent this same period last year.