Panels & Furniture Asia March/April 2018

42 MARKET REPORT
Source: American Hardwood Export Council - SEA & Greater China
The full year of 2017 saw the
largest exports ever on record
for American hardwoods, with
an increase of 17 per cent by value for
lumber over 2016, according to new
data from the American Hardwood
Export Council (AHEC). That gives the
American hardwood sawmilling industry
a grand total of US$2.64 billion of lumber
shipments sent all over the world in
2017.
China’s appetite for American
hardwoods continues to grow. U.S.
producers saw a massive 26 per cent
increase in lumber exports by value and
20 per cent by volume, bringing China’s
total import to over US$1.5 billion last
year. That means 57 per cent of all
lumber shipped by value was headed
to China.
Worldwide log exports are up three
per cent by volume and 18 per cent
by value on the year, but a shift in
consumption has led China to purchase
a larger share of this figure than in
previous years. Red oak log exports to
China effectively doubled from 2016
to 2017.
Vietnam, now the second largest
export market for American hardwood
lumber outside North America, has
continued on its growth trajectory.
Lumber exports were up 22 per cent
by value and 18 per cent by volume in
2017. Shipments of lumber amounted
to 444,862m 3 with tulipwood (yellow
poplar) registering 27 per cent gain in
volume accounting for 258,586m 3 or 58
per cent of Vietnam’s import of American
hardwood lumber. White oak was the
second species followed by red oak
showing its best performance yet – up
22 per cent albeit from a small base.
Both cherry and maple lumber recovered
some of their previous import levels.
A breakdown of American hardwood species shipped to Southeast Asia in 2017
March / April 2018 • Issue 2 • PANELS & FURNITURE ASIA