nterstate Movement o 

Round Pu pwood in the Southeast, 

Edgar L, Daarenpoelr , Forestry Technician 

Forest inventory and Analysis 

Asheville, Nsrtk Carolina 

From 1981 to 1985, puLpmills in the Southeast consumed 92,7 million cords of roundwood pulpwood, 2-8 

million cords more than were produced in the region. 

The region" peak year for production and consumption 

during this period was 1984, when more than 18.6 

million cords were produced and consumption totaled 

19.1 million cords of roundwood pulpwood. Interstate 

movement of roundwood pulpwood amounted to 41.1 

million cords during the 5-year period, cmpared with 

44.2 raillion eords during the period from 1976 to 

1980, 

Keywords: Production, movement, consumption, round 

softwood pulpwood, and round hardwood pulpwood, 

From 1981 to 198.5, the Southeast-- 

Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South 

Carolina, and Virginia--produced 89.9 

million cords of round pulpwood (table 

11, men both roundwood and residues are 

included, the Southeast accounted for 30 

percent sf the Nation" pulpwood demand, 

If only roundwood is included, this proportion increases to 34 percent; a large 

share of the West's pulp is made from 

residues, The Southeast is still a net 

importer of both softwood and hardwood 

pulpwood* Mills within the Southeast 

consumed 92,7 million cords of round 

pulpwood between 1981-1985- Nearly 6,3 

million csrds, or 7 percsnt sf this 

roundwood, were imported from States 

outside the region, Exports from the 

Southeast to States sutside the region 

totaled nearly 3,s million cords, or 

about 4 percent of the region's production, Within the Southeast, there is 

considerable interstate movement sf both 

softwood and hardwood pulpwood (figs* 

1-4), Between 198%-=1985, about 15.6 

million cords of round pulpwood crossed 

State lines within the region, Both 

production and consumption of all round 

pulpwood was greatest in 1984, when more 

than 18,6 lnillion eords were produced 

and 19*b million csrds of rsund pulpwood 

were consumed (table 7). This Resource 

Bulletin presents the statistics on 

interstate movement of sound pulpwood in 

the Southeast from 1981 to 1985; figures 

are based on annual canvasses of all. 

pulp and gaper mills in the Southeast, 

A similar report was published in I983 

to describe pulpwood movement between 

1976-1980, 

Georgia 

In the latest period, Georgia led the 

region in production, exports, imports, 

and consumption of softwood pulpwood 

(table 11, Annual production averaged 

5,4 million csrds, of which 79 percent 

was retained within the State (table 29, 

Consumption averaged 5,s million cords 

per year, Imports exceeded exports by 7 

percent; Georgia is the largest importer 

of softwood pulpwood in the region, The 

largest proportion of Georgia" s6,0 

million eords of softwood imports--37 

percent---came from Florida, Nearly onethird came from South Carolina, and about 

one-third was imported fro= Alabama 

(fig, 21, Georgia was also the leading 

exporter of rsund softwood, Exports 

totaled 5-6 million csrds, of which 60 

'~aven~ort, Edgar i, 1983. Interstate movement of 

round pulpwood in the Soctheast, 1936-1980. Res, Note 

SE-320, Asheville, NC: U,S, Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, Southeastern Forest Experiment 

Station, 13 pp. 
percent went to Florida and 36 percent 

was exported ou%side the region to 

Alabama and Tennessee (figs $1, 

Both annual production and consumption 

of softwood round pulpwood fluctuated 

little during the period, Gonsaarsption 

was greatest in I985 at 5,6 million 

cords, En 1984, the only year in which 

exports exceeded imports, production 

peaked at 5.5 million cords, Georgia's 

largest deficit for softwood pulpwood 

was in 2982, when production was lowest 

at 5,3 million cords and imports 

exceeded exports by 16 percent, 

From 1981 to 1985, annual production 

of round hardwood pulpwood in Georgia 

averaged nearly 0,9 million csrds, of 

which 87 percent was retained in the 

State (table 21, Mills in Georgia consumed 24 percent more hardwood pulpwood 

than the State produced and were second 

only to Virginia mills in volume of 

imports (table I), About 58 percent of 

Georgia" 22, million csrds of hardwood 

imports were frm South Carolina, while 

Alabama and Florida each provided 21 percent of total imports (fig, 4). Fortythree percent of the 0.6 million eords 

of hardwood exports were shipped outside 

the region to Alabama and Tennessee, 

while some 0,3 million cords were 

exported to North Carolina and Florida 

(fig* 3)- 

Hardwood pulpwood consumption peaked 

in 1983 at 1,3 million cords but 

declined very little in 1984 and 1985, 

Production increased each year during 

the period from the 1981 low of 749,000 

cords and was greatest in 1985 at 1,1 

million cords, Imports exceeded exports 

by a considerable margin each year in 

Georgia, but the deficit was least in 

1985, Imposts accounted for 35 to 38 

percent of consumption for most of the 

period, but in 1985 made up only 25 

percent, 

When all species are grouped, Georgia 

produced B,9 mil%%on cords or 6 percent 

more rsund pulpwood this period and consumed 2,1 million cords or 7 percent more 

than during the period between 1976-1980, 

Florida continues to rank second in 

the region in both the production and 

consumption of rsund softwood pulpwood, 

Annual production averaged almost 2.8 

million cords, of an average of 83 

percent remained in the State (table 3), 

Over the period, imports exceeded exports 

by almost 2,7 million cords, Georgia 

continues to be the primary source of 

Florida" softwood imports, contributing 

66 percent (fig. 2); 33 percent came 

from Alabama and Mississippi, Ninety-one 

percent of Florida's softwood exports 

went to mills in Georgia; 9 percent was 

exported outside the region to Alabama 

and Tennessee (figl I), 

Softwood pulpwood production peaked in 

Florida in 1983 at more than 2,9 million 

cords, and 82 percent of this production 

was retained within the State (table 31, 

In 18819 imparts exceeded exports by 

almost threefold when mills imported 37 

percent of their consmption, Although 

decEining significantly in 1985, imposts 

still exceeded exports by 78 percent and 

accounted for 27 percent of consumption, 

Florida produced and consumed less 

round hardwood pulpwood than any other 

Southeastern State, Both production and 

consumption reached their highest levels 

in 1983 and then declined by 34 and 23 

percent, respectively, to 229,000 and 

376,000 cords in 1985 (table 31, For the 

5-year period, annual production averaged 

0,3 million eords, 70 percent of which 

was retained in the State, Mills in 

Florida consumed over 0,6 million cords 

more round hardwood than the State produced, Alabama is still the primary 

source of Florida" 15,0 million cords of 

round hardwood imports, accounting for 

80 percent, Seven percent sf Florida's 

0-4 million cords of hardwood exports 

were shipped out of the region to mills 

in Alabama; mills in Georgia received 

the remainder (fig, 31, 

For this period, Florida's total production of round pulpwood was up by 0.9 

million csrds, or 6 percent above the 

14,4 erbillisn cords produced between 1976- 

1980, Concurrently, mill consumption 

declined by nearly 4 percent to P8,6 

million cords, 
South Carolina 

Between 1981-1985, annual production 

of round softwood pulpwood averaged 

nearly 2,2 million cords, of which 34 

percent was retained by =ills within the 

State (table I), South Carolina still 

ranks third in the region for both production and consumption sf softwood 

pulpwood, Sauth Carolina remsins a net 

exporter of round softwood pulpwoad, 

3uring the period, exports exceeded 

imports by 1,2 million cords, nr by 43 

pereene, Expgrts t~taled nearly 2,9 mil11s; cords, 3f which 64 percent, or 1.8 

million eords, were shipped co sills in v, - Georsia, while cilLs la ~art3 Carolina 

recerveG 34 percent, or i,O miZli7n csras 

!figs, 1, 2). North Carolina provided 98 

percent sf the L16 million cords of softwood irnpcrts, and only 2 percent cane 

from Georgia, In 1985, softwocd round 

pulpwood production totaled 2,% miffion 

cords--the greatest volume of any other 

year within the pried, About 81 percent 

sf production was retained within the 

State, In 1985, exports totaled 440,800 

cords and exceeded imports by only 29 

percent, a rather low ratio in cornparison with those of earlier years, 

Still, in 1985 imports accounted for 

only 16 pereent sf csnsmptisn (table 41, 

From 1981 to 9985, South Carolina produced nearly 4,2 inillion eords of round 

hardwood; and Ted the region in exports, 

Exports amounted to 1,8 million cords, 

43 percent of the State" total hardwood 

pulpwscd production, Two-thirds of the 

exports went to mk%Ls in Georgia and 

more than one-third to Korth Carolina 

mills (fig, 31, Less than 0-2 alllion 

cords, mostly from North Carolina, were 

imported* 3fiiPs within the State consumed 

only 2,5 minim cords, 61 percent of 

the State" production, compared with 65 

percent of the State's 3,3-million-cord 

production during 1976-1980, 

South Carolina's produetio~ of round 

hardwood increased annually fron 1981 to 

1984, In 1984, the State produced more 

than 1,8 miklion eords, of which 68 gercent was retained, Exports exceeded 

imports by 86 percent, and consumption 

that year was 66 percent of the grsduction. In 1985, production dropped by 

only 32,000 cords, but 68 percent was 

retained. Exports that year were the 

least during the 5-year period, and fell 

below the annual average by L8,008 

cords, These exports amounted to only 32 

percent sf the production, Mills within 

the State consumed more than 0-9 million 

cordsi or $3 percent of the State's producticrm, during this last year of the 

period (table 4)- 

?Then all species are grc~ped, prod~c~ 

tion totsled 15,O million eords sf ro3m.d 

p8~lpwood during the period, i ,5 mil liua 

cards =%>re Lha~ the previctis period, 

Sixty--nine pereent of chis prodsctiee 

was rerained, about 17 percen* =ore than 

betweea 1975-1930, Exports a~ounted to 

near:y h-7 million GGP~S~ 5 percer~t less 

than tka volume for the prior period, 

YkP%s in South Carolina imported only 

1,8 million cords, 28 percent less than 

in the previous period, and the feast of 

any otkr State in the Southeast during 

this period, 

North Carolina 

Between 1988-1985, annual production 

of rcund softwood pulpwood averaged 

nearly 1,9 million cords, sf which 74 

percent was retained by milks within the 

State (table 1). The State was a large 

exporter of round softwood, with nearly 

2,s mi:lisn cords, or 26 percent of the 

State's production, exported to five 

States, Nearly i,Q million cords, cr 63 

percent of the total exports, went to 

Soueh Carolina, About 33 percent went 

to Virginia, and 3 percent was exported 

outside the region to Tennessee (fig. 1). 

North Carolina mills imported about lsO 

million cords Less than was exported 

during the period. South Carolina provided two-thirds of the State's imports; 

wood was also received frm Georgia, 

Tennessee, and Virginia, Annual eonsumption averaged 1.7 million cords, or 

marly 90 percent of the production 

(table 51, 

Both production and consumption of 

round softwood pulpwood for North 

Carolina were greatest in 1984, when 76 

pereent of the 2,0 million cords pro- 
duced were retained within the State, 

The 1984 production was a recovery from 

a declining trend that started in 1981, 

Declines amounted to about 5 percent per 

year for the first 3 years of the period, 

Mill consumption for the year was nearly 

1.8 million cords, or 89 percent of the 

State" production, 

Over the entire period, production of 

round softwood was up by 1,0 million 

cords and consumption by more than 1-5 

million cords .when compared with that of 

the 1976-1980 period, 

North Carolina--the leader in round 

hardwood pulpwood production in the 

Southeast for this period--produced more 

than 6,s million cords, Nearly 4,9 million cords were retained and processed 

by mills within the State, Skikl a 

leading exporter of round hardwood pulpwood, however, North Carolina exported 

more than 1,6 million cords, or 25 percent of its hardwood production, Mills 

in Virginia and South Carolina received 

87 and 11 percent, respectively, of these 

exports, while 2 percent was exported 

outside the region to Tennessee (fig. 3). 

Hardwood imports totaled nearly 1.0 million cords, of which 68 percent came 

from South Carolina and 4 percent from 

Tennessee (fig. 4). Annual mill consumption averaged nearly 1,2 milLion 

cords, or 89 percent of the production, 

Production and consumption of round 

hardwood pulpwood were greaeest in 1984, 

&en nearly 1,4 million cords were produced and mills consumed 1,3 million 

cords, In 1984, exports exceeded imports 

by about 68 percent, but imports still 

accounted for about 16 percent of &he 

consumption (table 5). 

North Carolina produced over 0,9 

million cords mare of round hardwood 

pulpwood this period than during 1976- 

1980, Consumption was 89 percent of the 

6,s million cords produced, as compared 

with 86 percent of the 5.5 million cords 

produeed last period, 

men all species are combined, the 

State produced nearly 16.0 million cords 

of round pulpwood during this period, 12 

percent more than during the period 

hetween 1976-1988, North Carolina mills 

consumed more than 2,s million cords, or 

nearly 18 percent more round pulpwood 

this period than during the 1976-1980 

period, 

Virginia 

Virginia produced the %east volume 

of round softwood pulpwood of all 

Southeastern States, and accounted for 

only 8 percent of the region" ttotal 

production--67,0 million cords, On the 

average, it rekained more of its production than the other States, Over the 

5-year period, annual production averaged 

1,1 million cords, of which 87 percent 

was retained and only 0-7 million cords 

were exported (table 11, Imports exceeded 

exports by 31 percent, Average annual 

consumption was 112 million cords, or 5 

percent more than was produced, Of the 

1,0 million cords imported, 79 percent 

came from Earth Carolina; the remainder 

came from three States outside the region 

(fig, 21, More than 50 percent of the 

softwood exports were shipped outside 

the region to Pennsylvania and Maryland, 

while 42 percent went to North Carolina 

(fig I). Mills within the State consumed nearly 6,O million cords of round 

softwood pulpwood this period--l,1 

million cords or 18 percent more than 

during 1976-1980, 

virginials annual round softwood production and consumption changed very 

little over the period, On the average, 

annual consumption just exceeded the 

1,l-million-cord production, Imports 

and exports held steady over the period, 

with imports exceeding exports by an 

average of 45 percent (table 6), 

Virginia ranked second in the production of round hardwood pulpwood during 

the period, but mills in Virginia consumed more than did mills in other 

States (table 11, Hardwood production 

averaged nearly 1-3 million cords 

annually; 5*7 million cords, or 91 percent, were retained, Virginia was the 

largest importer of hardwood pulpwood in 

the region, More than 43 percent of the 

2,5 million cords imported came from four 

States outside the region, while 54 percent came frm North Carolina (fig, 4). 
Imports exceeded exports by nearly 2-0 

million cords, or 78 percent, Threefourths of Virginia" 00,6 million cords 

of hardwood exports went to three States 

outside the regisn, while North Carolina 

received the remaining sne-fourth (fig, 

31, Mills in Virginia consrimed more 

than I,6 million cords of round hardwood 

pulpwood annually, exceeding the State's 

production by 24 percent, 

Virginia's peak year for round hardwood pulpwood was 1983, when the State 

produced more than 1,4 million cards and 

retained 92 percent of this production, 

Mills within the State that year consumed 

more than 1,8 million cords of round 

hardwood pulpwood, 28 percent of which 

was imported (table 41, 

Compared with the 1976-1980 period, 

Virginia produced nearly 1,9 million 

cords mare sf round hardwood pulpwood, 

retained dmost 1,7 milEion cords =ore, 

imported nearly 0,9 million cords more, 

and consumed over 2.5 million cords 

more. 

men aLL species are combined, 

Virginia produced 11-9 million cords sf 

round pulpwood for the period--3,Q 

million cords OP nearly 26 percent more 

than during the period between 1976-1980, 

Mills within the State retained 89 percent of the State% production, comgared 

with 87 percent Last period, Imports 

exceeded exports by 2,3 million cords, 

or 65 percent, Last period, imports 

exceeded exports by Le7 million cords, or 

61 percent* Virginia mills consumed more 

than 14,2 million cords of round pulpwood this period--3,6 million eords or 

26 percent more than the period between 

1976-1980, 

ROUND SOFWOOD PULPWOOD IMPORTS, 

"198% - 1985. 


Table 1.--Production, interstate movement, and consumption of round pulpwood, by 

species group and State, Southeast, 1981-1985 

Species group Interstate movement 

and Production Retained Consumption 

State Expor t s Imports 

------------ Standard cords - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Georgia 27,138,045 21,509,046 5,628,999 6,000,348 27,509,394 

Florida 13,864,584 11,445,503 2,419,081 5,082,130 16,527,633 

South Carolina 10,866,900 8,010,900 2,856,000 1,614,375 9,625,275 

North Carolina 9,462,310 6,981,801 2,480,509 1,489,680 8,471,481 

Virginia 5,653,288 4,943,864 713,424 1,035,969 5,999,833 

Total 

Hardwood 

Georgia 4,469,914 3,894,257 575,657 1,991,257 59885,%14 

Florida 1,492,015 1,044,841 447,174 1,058,736 2,103,577 

South Carolina 4,172,048 2,370,166 1,881,882 175,443 2,545,609 

north Carolina 6,533,346 4,885,364 1,647,982 954,450 5,839,894 

Virginia 6,268,565 5,715,336 553,229 2,534,628 8,249,964 

All species 

Georgia 31,607,959 25,483,303 6,204,656 7,991,685 33,394,908 

Florida 15,356,599 12,490,314 2,866,255 6,148,866 18,631,210 

South Carolina 15,038,948 10,381,866 4,657,882 1,789,818 12,170,884 

Ksrth Carolina 15,995,656 %1,867,%65 4,828,491 2,4&4,130 14,311,295 

Virginia 11,925,853 10,659,200 1,266,653 3,570,597 14,229,797 

Total 89,925,015 78,801,078 19,123,937 21,937,0%6 92,738,094 
Table 2c--Pr~duction, interstate movement and consumption of round pulpwood, by 

species group and year, Georgia, 1981-1985 

Species group Interstate movement 

and Production Retained Consumption 

year Exports Empor ts 

Standard cords - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Total 

Average 5,427,609 4,301,809 1,125,800 1,200,070 5,501,879 

Hardwood 

Average 893,983 778,851 115,131 398,251 1,1177,103 

All species 

Total 

Average 6,321,592 5,080,661 1,240,931. 1,598,321 6,678,982 
Table 3,--Production, interstate movement, and consumption of round pulpwood, by 

species group and year, Florida, 1981-1985 

Species group Interstate movement 

and Production Retained Consumption 

year Exports Imports 

------------ Standard cords - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Softwood 

Average 2,372,917 2,289,101 483,816 1,036,426 3,305,527 

Hardwood 

Total 

Average 

Total 

Average 3,071,320 2,498,069 573,251 1,228,173 3,726,242 
Table 4.--Production, interstate movement, and consumption of round pulpwood, by 

species group and year, South Carolina, 1981-1985 

Species group Interstate movement 

and Production Retained Consumption 

year Exports Imports 

----"---------- Standard cords - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Ssf twood 

Total 

Hardwood 

Total 

Average 834,410 474,033 360,376 35,089 509,122 

All species 

- - 

Totab 

Average 3,007,790 2,076,213 931,576 357,964 2,434,177 
Tahfe 5e--Production, interstate movement, and consumption of round pufpwood, by 

species group and year, North Carolina, 1981-1985 

Species group Interstate movement 

and Prcduction Betained Consumption 

year Exports Imports 

Sof twssd 

Totah 9.,$62,3/Q 6,98B ,881 2,486,509 1 489 S~IJ 8,471,421 -- -. -- ~L--LJP- -- a- ----- -*----- 

Axe rsge 1,892,442 1,396,360 496,152 297,936 1,694,296 

Hardwood 

Average 1,306,469 977,073 329,596 190,890 1,167,963 

All species 

Total 

Average 3,199,131 2,373,433 825,698 488,826 2,562,259 
Table 6,--Production, interstate movement, and csnsun;igkisn sf round pulpwood, by 

species group and year, Virginia, 1981-1985 

Species group Interstate movement 

and Production Retained Consumption 

year Exports Imports 

------------ Standard cords - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Softwood 

Average 1,131,458 988,773 142,685 207,194 1,195,967 

Total 

Average 1,253,713 1,143,067 110,646 506,926 1,649,993 

All species 

Total 

Average 2,385,171 2,231,840 253,331 
Table 3B--Production, interstate movement and consumption sf round puhpwosd, by 

species group and year, Southeas&, 1981-1985 

Species group Interstate movement 

and Produetion Retained Csnsump~ion 

year Exports Imports 

------------ Standard cords - - - - - - - - - - - - Softwood 

Total 

Average 13,397,825 18,578,223 2,819,603 3,644,500 13,622,723 

Hardwood 

Total 

Average 4,587,178 3,581,993 1,005,185 1,342,903 4,924,896 

Total 

Average 17,985,003 14,160,216 3,824,787 4,387,403 18,547,619 

The Ferest Service, U,S, Departmerit of Agriculture, is 

dedicated to the principle sf 

rniritipIe use inanagernerlr of 

the Xatisngs forest resources 

for sustairled yields of wood, 

water, forage, wiidiife, and 

recreation, Through forestry 

resezrch, cooperation with the 

States and private forest 

<ivvmers, MEB marragernma of 

the Batland Forests and 

National Grass%mds, it strives 

--as directed by Congress-to 

provide increasingiy greater 

service to a growing Nation, 

CSOA poiicy does not permit discrimination because 

of race, color, national origin, sex or religion. .hy 

person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any USDA-related actlviry should 

write immediately to the Secretary of Agriculture, 

Washington, D,G, 26256,