US hardwood lumber exports to SE Asia booming April 23, 2007
Total exports of US hardwood products to Southeast Asia moved ahead of the global trend (up 6.9%) in 2006, increasing 13% to $159 million, according to the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC). Lumber exports amounted to $110 million, up 32% from 2005 and accounted for 69% of the total US hardwood product exports to the region. In contrast, log exports fell 25% and accounted for less than 20% of the total value, whereas ten
years ago logs were exactly half the value of lumber shipments. All markets in Southeast Asia, with the exception of Singapore, now import more than half their value of US hardwood imports as sawn lumber. Veneer
shipments increased almost 15% and accounted for 9.6% of total value. Together lumber and veneer accounted for almost 79% of the market value of US hardwood exports in this region.
Imports of US hardwoods by SE Asian countries (million $)
Vietnam has been the last, but fastest, country in Southeast to adopt US hardwoods and is the region’s leading lumber importer at $43.4 million. In Thailand, the total value shipped was $33.4 million of which 84% was lumber at $28.3 million, the highest percent in any Southeast Asian
country. Indonesia has converted rapidly from a log market to a market for US hardwood lumber, now worth $17.6 million out of a total of $32.4 million. In contrast, in 1998, logs there accounted for 61% of the then $29.3 million total. Malaysia is another market with a relatively
high percentage of lumber, reflecting its position as one of the world’s largest furniture exporters with increasing need for imported lumber species. The Philippines market remained very small and fell by 40% in total value in
2006, with lumber amounting to 57% of total products and
veneer 29%. Singapore’s imports of US lumber climbed
160% to $3.8 million, but 36% of the import value was
veneer. The leading US species in Southeast Asia in 2006
by volume was white oak, followed by red oak. In
Vietnam, however, tulipwood was the most preferred
species, whereas Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia all
favour white oak.
