American Hardwood Supplement 2019

Red oak designed by
BIBBINGS at the Building
Craft College UK
than the equivalent European oak. As red
oak has been particularly impacted, the
price gap with American white has also
widened.
“Initially wet weather restricted
harvesting, so the effect of the tariff was
muted to some extent, but with colder
temperatures, supply has picked up
and those mills with all their eggs in the
Chinese basket have found it a struggle,”
Summers said. “If the tariff is raised, and
particularly as the Chinese currency has
also devalued against the dollar, it will
be that much more difficult, leading to
possible cuts in production.”
However, in 2019 AHEC clearly aims for
price and availability to be far from the
only attractions of the species. Backed
by the efforts of its sawmill members
themselves, it is focusing promotional
and communications resources squarely
on it. It is working with designers, makers
and furniture students to highlight red
oak’s versatility, aesthetics and technical
performance. The timber is being taken
in new directions in terms of processing,
finishing and end use and it will take
centre stage at exhibitions such as
VIFA in Saigon. The marketing campaign
will also feature showcase projects,
including last year’s massive use of
red oak for flooring, acoustic cladding and
glulam at the new European HQ of financial
data and media colossus Bloomberg in
London and a new contemporary collection
of living furniture by designer John Kelly, to
be made in Vietnam.
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