October - December 2012
U.S Hardwood Lumber Exports At Record Pace, 1.2 Bbf Through November
January 18, 2013 (Editor's Note)-Through November, the latest months for which trade data are available, year-to-date U.S. hardwood lumber exports totaled 1.2 billion board feet (Bbf), up 10.5% y/y. 2012 hardwood exports are on pace to equal or surpass the 2006 all-time record of 1.34 Bbf. Exports to Asia grew strongly during the first 11 months of 2012. Shipments to China alone were up 52.8 million board feet (MMbf), while Vietnam, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia collectively increased their purchasing by 45.7 MMbf y/y.
| Market | 2012 YTD MMBF | 2011 YTD MMBF | Change MMBF | YTD % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 468.3 | 415.5 | 52.8 | 12.7% |
| Canada | 238.4 | 221.6 | 16.8 | 7.6% |
| Vietnam | 129.1 | 101.1 | 28.0 | 27.7% |
| Mexico | 91.6 | 81.8 | 9.8 | 12.0% |
| Italy | 36.7 | 52.6 | -15.9 | -30.2% |
| United Kingdom | 30.6 | 26.9 | 3.7 | 13.6% |
| Japan | 24.5 | 19.8 | 4.7 | 23.8% |
| Germany | 21.5 | 21.9 | -0.4 | -2.0% |
| Thailand | 18.1 | 10.3 | 7.8 | 75.6% |
| Indonesia | 15.4 | 12.8 | 2.6 | 20.5% |
| Malaysia | 14.9 | 9.7 | 5.2 | 53.3% |
| Taiwan | 13.5 | 11.8 | 1.7 | 14.6% |
| Hong Kong | 12.4 | 10.7 | 1.7 | 16.1% |
| Spain | 9.1 | 12.3 | -3.2 | -25.6% |
| Korea | 6.6 | 6.4 | 0.2 | 3.3% |
| World Total | 1,224.2 | 1,107.8 | 116.4 | 10.5% |
| Data Source: USITC interactive tariff and trade database, retrieved 1/18/2013. | ||||