,~~~~ United States 

Department of 

i_/ Agriculture 

Forest Service 

Southern Forest 

Experiment Station 

New Orleans, 

Louisiana 

Research Paper 

SO-225 

July 1986 

Caribbean Markets 

for U.S. Wood 

Products 

Harold W. Wisdom, James E. Granskog, and Keith A. Blatner 

Mexico I 
SUMMARY 

The West Indies and the continental countries bordering the Caribbean Sea 

constitute a significant market for U.S. wood products. In 1983, wood product 

exports to the region totaled almost $157 million. The Caribbean Basin primarily is a market for softwood products, with pine lumber being the most prominent item. The flow of exports to the region is dominated by (1) overseas 

shipments from southern ports to the West Indies and (2) overland shipments 

from the Southwestern United States to Mexico. 
CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION ................................................. 1 

THE CARIBBEAN BASIN .......................................... 1 

Forests .......................................................... 1 

Mexico ........................................................ 2 

Central America ............................................... 2 

South Rim ..................................................... 3 

West Indies .................................................... 3 

Wood Production and Trade ....................................... 3 

U.S. WOOD EXPORTS ............................................. 4 

Roundwood ...................................................... 5 

Logs ........................................................... 5 

Poles .......................................................... 5 

Other ........................................................ 6 

Lumber .......................................................... 6 

Soffwood ....................................................... 6 

Hardwood ..................................................... 7 

Treated ........................................................ 9 

Crossties ..................................................... 9 

Wood Panels ..................................................... 9 

Veneer ....................................................... 9 

Plywood ....................................................... 9 

Particleboard .................................................. 9 

Miscellaneous Manufactured Products ............................. 9 

DISCUSSION ...................................................... 10 

LITERATURE CITED .............................................. 12 

Caribbean Markets for U.S. Wood Products 

Harold W. Wisdom, James E. Granskog, and Keith A. Blatner 

INTRODUCTION 

As the U.S. wood products industry becomes more 

cognizant of marketing overseas, specific export markets are being scrutinized for potential development. 

One region attracting interest is the Caribbean Basin. 

Publicity generated by the recent "Caribbean Basin 

Initiative" has drawn attention to the area's potential 

for trade and development. 

Despite the advantage of proximity, the Caribbean 

Basin has been overlooked relative to export markets 

such as Japan and Western Europe. Because most of 

the countries in the Caribbean Basin are small island 

nations, they do not frequently appear among the 

leading importers of U.S. wood products individually. 

Collectively, however, they constitute an important 

market. The West Indies, for instance, always has 

been a major buyer of southern pine lumber. 

This report analyzes trends in U.S. wood exports to 

markets in the Caribbean Basin. Data on U.S. wood 

exports are from Bureau of the Census (U.S. Department of Commerce) computer tapes for 1967-83. 

Background information on wood production and 

trade in the Caribbean Basin was obtained from the 

"Yearbook of Forest Products" (Food and Agriculture 

Organization 1983). 

THE CARIBBEAN BASIN 

The Caribbean Basin includes the Caribbean island 

nations and the continental countries bordering the 

Caribbean Sea. For this report, the area is divided 

into four subregions: Mexico, Central America, the 

South Rim (the five South American countries bordering the Caribbean Sea), and the West Indies. Mexico 

is treated separately, because it dwarfs the other 

countries in size and population. Also, it is the only 

Caribbean nation with direct overland access to the 

United States, which influences the origin of U.S. exports to that country. 

The Basin is an extremely diverse region consisting 

of a large number of countries that range widely in 

size, population, customs, and economic complexity. 

Reflecting its colonial history, the region is fragmented by four languages: English, French, Spanish, 

and Dutch. Its cultures also reflect the influence of 

Africa and the indigenous Indians. In a sense, the 

only common element that ties the countries together 

is the Caribbean Sea, which at the same time, isolates 

the countries and contributes to their differences. 

The Basin has a total population of more than 167 

million, scattered in some 30 countries and territories 

(table 1). Populations are growing, but per capita incomes are generally low. Many of the island 

economies are based largely upon a single industry, 

e.g., sugarcane or tourism, and were heavily impacted 

by oil price increases during the 1970's, which drained 

foreign exchange and severely limited economic 

growth. Although Mexico, Venezuela, and Trinidad 

benefited from oil exports, these countries also have 

been adversely aflected by the more recent worldwide 

economic slowdown and falling oil prices. 

Forests 

The forests of the region are as diverse as the people 

and the economies. Because of steep topography and 

small size, most Caribbean islands support a wide 

variety of forest types that cover only small areas 

(Lugo and others 1981). Continental forests vary in 

composition from stands that are mostly pine in Central America to lush tropical rain forests in the South 

Rim that include hundreds of species. Despite the 

Harold W. Wisdom is Associate Professor, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univer- , sity, Blacksburg, Virginia. James E. Granskog is Principal Economist, Southern Forest Experiment Station, USDA Forest Service, New ' 

Orleans, Louisiana. Keith A. Blatner is Assistant Professor, Department of Forestry and Range Management, Washington State University, 

Pullman, Washington, formerly Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, Virginia Polytechnic Institute 

and State University. f 

This research was funded in part by cooperative agreement No. 19-351 between Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the i 

USDA Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station, New Orleans, Louisiana. i 

f 

I 
Table 1.-Area, population, and gross national product of the Caribbean Basin, by region and 

country 

Subregion1 Area Population Gross national product 

countrv Total Growth Total Per capita 

Thou. sq. mi. Thowads Percent BZllwn U.S. $ U.S. $ 

Mexico 

Central America 

Belize 

Costa Rica 

El Salvador 

Guatemala 

Honduras 

Nicaragua 

Panama 

West Indies 

Bahamas 

Barbados 

Cayman Isles 

Cuba 

Dominican Republic 

East Caribbean3 

Haiti 

Jamaica 

Netherland Ant. 

Puerto Rico 

Trinidad/Tobago 

Turks & Caicos Is. 

Virgin Isles - Brit. 

Virgin Isles - U.S. 

South Rim 964.7 42,816 . . . . . . 105.2 2,455 

Colombia 439.7 27,030 2.1 33.9 1,255 

French Guiana 34.7 73 3.6 .2 2,740 

Guyana 83.0 833 .7 .6 720 

Suriname 55.2 363 - .5 1.1 3,030 

Venezuela 352.1 14,517 2.9 69.4 4,780 

Caribbean Basin 2,014.7 167,194 . . . . . . 343.9 2,055 

'Population totals are U.S. State Department estimates for mid 1983. Population growth rates are 

average annual growth for 1972-82. GNP figures are for the latest year available, generally 1982 

or 1983. 

2Not available. 

3The Eastern Caribbean includes the French West Indies (Guadeloupe and Martinique) and the 

other small islands of the Leeward and Windward Islands (Anquilla, Antiqua, Dominica, 

Grenada, Montserrat, St. Christopher-Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines). 

Sources: U.S. Department of State 1982-84, 1984. 

many species that inhabit most areas of the region, 

however, relatively few are used commercially (Longwood 1962). 

Forest areas have been reduced by population 

growth and associated agricultural and energy needs. 

Generally, the higher the population density, the 

lower the percentage of land area that is forested. 

Countries in the South Rim are the most extensively 

forested, and the West Indies are the least forested 

(table 2). 

Mexico.-Mexico's forests have been heavily exploited for fuel and timber. Of the 44 million forested 

hectares, about two-thirds are in temperateconiferous forests at higher elevations in the various 

mountain ranges, mostly in the northern States of 

Chihuahua and Durango (Caballero and others 1977). 

The remaining tropical forests are largely confined to 

the southeastern lowland and coastal plains. 

Central America.-More than half the area of Central America is forested. Extensive tropical rain 
Table 2.-Forest areas of the Caribbean Basin 

Subregion Total 

area 

Percent 

forested 

Mexico 

Central America 

South Rim 

West Indies 

------ Million hectares - - - - - - 

202 22 

50 56 

243 65 

24 18 

Total 519 *45 

*Weighted average. 

Source: Lugo and others 1981, Caballero and others 1977. 

forests along the eastern coast include the majority of 

the valuable woods, although species such as mahogany and Spanish cedar have been heavily cut. 

Pine stands in the mountainous interior of Honduras, 

Nicaragua, and Guatemala contain most of the remaining valuable softwood timber. 

South Rim.-The South Rim contains some of the 

finest tropical hardwood forests in Latin America. 

Sparsely populated Guyana, Suriname, and French 

Guiana are mostly forested, but much of the area is 

inaccessible and timber exploitation is inhibited by 

the absence of a suitable transportation system. In 

more densely populated Colombia and Venezuela, 

substantial areas are being deforested annually for 

fuelwood and shifting agriculture. Venezuela, however, has implemented a softwood plantation program 

to reduce future import needs and to offset some of the 

forest loss. 

West Indies.-The forests of the West Indies have 

been depleted through years of uncontrolled exploitation for charcoal, fuelwood, and clearing for agriculture. The two largest countries, the Dominican Republic and Cuba, still have sizeable forested areas but 

currently import substantial volumes of forest products. As a result of water problems that developed 

following deforestation in neighboring Haiti, timber 

cutting in the Dominican Republic has been restricted 

for the protection of watersheds. Jamaica and 

Trinidad-Tobago have active forestry programs, but 

their forest resources will not supply a substantial 

portion of domestic demand, at least for the foreseeable future. Forested areas also exist on most of the 

small islands, but they have little importance for commercial wood products. 

Wood Production and Trade 

The 1981 timber harvest in the Basin exceeded 3.6 

billion cubic feet, or roughly one-fourth of the U.S. 

annual harvest. However, most of the Caribbean timber harvest was used for fuel-5 of every 6 cubic feet 

of harvested timber (table 3). Of the four subregions, 

only in Mexico did the harvest for industrial products 

exceed that for fuelwood. Furthermore, removals for 

Table 3.-Timber harvest in the Caribbean Basin, 1981 

Subregion Fuelwood & Industrial 

charcoal roundwood Total 

----------- Million cubic feet - - - - - - - - - - - 

Mexico 212.8 224.1 436.9 

Central America 865.4 134.0 999.4 

South Rim 1,749.7 149.8 1,899.5 

West Indies 280.0 29.9 309.9 

Total 3,107.9 537.8 3,645.7 

Source: FA0 1983. 

fuelwood and charcoal have increased faster than for 

industrial products, 2.6 percent compared to 1.9 percent since 1967. 

The pattern of heavy fuelwood use reflects rapidly 

growing populations and low per capita incomes, with 

forest use being dominated by shifting agriculture 

and energy needs. Construction practices and market 

structure are also factors in the low industrial roundwood harvest. Concrete is the preferred housing construction material in the Caribbean Basin. Economically, many of the small island nations do not have a 

population large enough to consume manufactured 

products in sufEcient quantities to support domestic 

production. Even in the larger countries having sizeable populations and forest resources, lack of financing has been an obstacle to capital-intensive manufacturing, such as pulp and paper production. 

Seventy percent of the 1981 industrial roundwood 

harvest was sawlogs and veneer logs, used primarily 

for the production of lumber and wood panels; most of 

the remainder, largely in Mexico, was used for pulp 

and paper production. Only a small amount of roundwood enters trade, mainly hardwood log exports from 

French Guiana, Guyana, and Suriname. 

Sawnwood-lumber and crossties-is the principal 

wood product in the Caribbean Basin (table 4). MexTable 4.-Production of sawnwood and wood panels in the 

Caribbean Basin, 1981 

Commodity Mexico Central South West Total 

America Rim Indies 

Sawnwood 

SoRwood 

Hardwood 

Crossties 

Total, sawn 

Wood panels 

Plywood 

Particleboard 

Other 

Total, panels 

------------ Million cubic feet ------------ 

Source: FA0 1983. 

3 
ico, Honduras, and Nicaragua are the major softwood 

lumber producers, while Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and 

countries in the South Rim dominate hardwood lumber production. Although hardwood lumber production in Mexico is small, crosstie output is substantial. 

Mexico also accounts for about two-thirds of the region's production of wood panel produd. 

Both softwood and hardwood lumber production 

have declined since 1977, after increasing slightly 

during the prior decade (fig. 1). The softwood decline 

has been more severe as production has fallen in each 

of the three major producing countries, where the 

most accessible pine stands have been harvested. 

Also, economic and political conditions have impacted 

production and, more importantly, trade. 

The Basin is a net importer of softwood lumber, and 

its deficit has widened (fig. 2). The West Indies is the 

major importer, but rapid growth in Mexico and 

Venezuela in the late 1970's also spurred imports. 

During the same period, shipments from the region's 

exporters-Honduras and Nicaragua-were falling, 

creating a growing market for outside suppliers. Exports from Honduras have dropped since nationalization of its forest products industry in 1974, and political unrest has disrupted the flow of lumber from 

Nicaragua. 

Since hardwood resources are more dispersed than 

softwood, the hardwood lumber trade is much smaller; 

however, imports have been exceeding exports by a 

growing margin since 1976. The South Rim is the 

leading hardwood exporter, followed by Central 

America. The West Indies is the dominant importer. 

The Basin also is a net importer of panel products 

(fig. 3). Imports have grown despite an overall expansion in regional production. Most of the increase in 

panel production occurred in Mexico, where it is used 

internally, while increasing consumption in the rest 

of the region is being met by imports, Costa Rica and 

Suriname are the main panel exporters, and Mexico 

and the West Indies account for most of the panel 

imports. 

U.S. WOOD EXPORTS 

U.S. exports of wood products-roundwood, lumber, 

wood-based panels, and miscellaneous manufactured 

products-to the Caribbean Basin were valued at 

$157 million in 1983. Shipments to the region climbed 

from $26 million in 1967 to $211 million in 1981, 

before declining in 1982 and 1983 as a result of foreign debt problems in Mexico and Venezuela. 

The value of shipments by product and country of 

destination for 1983 is detailed in table 5. Lumber 

was the most important export item, accounting for 

$86 million, or 56 percent of the total. Lumber also 

has accounted for the largest portion of the increase in 

wood exports to the Caribbean Basin since 1967 

(fig. 4). 

Almost one-third of all wood exports to the 

Caribbean Basin consist of miscellaneous manufactured wood articles. The importance of this group reflects modest demands for a large variety of secondary 

products, which add up to a significant portion of the 

total value. 

50 - 

45 - 

40 - 

8' '\ / , \I \ -.." \ 

15 - \ 

\ 

\ 

\ 

\ 

10 - \-- 

HARDWOOD EXPORTS 

5 

r,,3f' ---. - 

--- ,/-A HARDWOOD IMPORTS 

0 t 1 I I I I I 1967 1969 1971 I973 1975 1977 1979 1981 I983 

Figure 1.-Lumber production in the Caribbean Basin, 1967-82. 

YEAR 

Figve 2.-Lumber tmde in the Caribbean Basin, 1967-81. 
IMPORTS 

EXPORTS 

0 I I I I I I I I 1967 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 

YEAR 

Figure 3.-Panel production and tmde in the Caribbean Basin, 

1967-81. 

Currently, the West Indies is the largest of the four 

regional markets (fig. 5). Exports to Mexico, the primary market before 1982, declined sharply in 1982 

and 1983, reflecting its economic problems. The West 

Indies was the only Caribbean Basin market that continued to grow during 1981-83. 

As a practical matter, the pattern of U.S. exports to 

the Caribbean Basin can be described as (1) overland 

shipments from the Southwest to Mexico and (2) overseas shipments from southern ports to other 

Caribbean markets (table 6). In 1983, 91 percent of 

wood exports to Mexico were overland shipments from 

southwestern customs districts, and Mexico also accounted for 92 percent of all western U.S. wood exports to the Caribbean Basin. In contrast, southern 

ports provide 90 percent of the exports to the West 

Indies, the South Rim, and Central America. Also, 

exports from Puerto Rico are largely southern in 

origin. ' 

Roundwood 

Logs.-The U.S. exports only a modest amount of 

logs to the Caribbean Basin. In 1983, log exports 

'Although Puerto Rico is within the Caribbean Basin, it also is a 

possession of the United States. Shipments to Puerto Rico from the 

United States are not counted as U.S. exports; however, shipments 

from Puerto Rico to other countries are included in U.S. export 

statistics. For a description of U.S. shipments of wood products to 

Puerto Rico, see Wisdom and others (1983). 

LUMBER 

MISCELLANEOUS 

I I I I I 1 0 20 4 0 6 0 8 0 100 

MILLION DOLLARS 

Figure 4.-Wood exports to the Caribbean Basin by product group, 

1967 and 1983. 

amounted to only 2.5 million board feet, valued at 

$1.5 million. This was a sharp decline from the 1980 

peak of 9.1 million board feet, but still above the 1.5 

million board feet exported in 1967. The decline since 

1980 has been due to a sharp reduction in softwood log 

exports, although hardwood log exports also declined. 

Softwoods have averaged 64 percent of total log exports since 1980. Walnut and oak logs, used in the 

manufacture of furniture and millwork, are the principal hardwood species exported. 

Mexico and the South Rim are the most important 

log markets, each absorbing one-third of total U.S. log 

exports to the Caribbean Basin in 1981-83. The West 

Indies is third in importance, followed by Central 

America. Venezuela is the principal South Rim market. 

Poles.-The Caribbean Basin is more important as 

a market for poles than it is for logs. U.S. pole exports 

to the Basin in 1983 were valued at $4.3 million. Utility poles made up 85 percent of the value of pole shipments; the remainder was short poles and posts less 

than 15 feet in length. 

About 60,000 utility poles are exported to the 

Caribbean Basin annually. The level of pole exports 

has not changed appreciably since 1967, although it 

has fluctuated widely from year to year (fig. 6). 

Most poles are imported by government-owned utilities. With few exceptions, electric power and telephone service in the Caribbean Basin are distributed 

by lines strung overhead on poles. Pole exports to the 

Basin reflect the expansion of power and telephone 

distribution systems and the replacement of old poles. 

Outside of those countries having pine resources, few 

local trees are of sufficient height, form, and durability to be used as utility poles. 
Table 5.-Value of U.S. wood exports to the Caribbean Basin, 1983 

Subregion and Roundwood Lumber Panels Mise. Total country 

---------.-------*---- Thotlsa& dollars --a - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - 

Mexico 884 21,909 3,344 12,199 38,336 

Central America 

Panama 

Belize 

El Salvador 

Honduras 

Guatemala 

Costa Rica 

Nicaragua 

Total 

West Indies 

Bahamas 

Bermuda1 

Jamaica 

Cayman Isles 

Haiti 

Dom. Republic 

LW, WW Isles 

Barbados 

Trinidad & Tobago 

Neth. Antilles 

French W. Indies 

Total 

South Rim 

Colombia .......... 1,604 75 2,220 3,899 

Venezuela 15 551 59 1,922 2,558 

French Guiana .......... 4 1 167 171 

Guyana .......... 3 2 158 163 

Suriname 2 ....... ...... 48 49 

Total 17 2,162 137 4,526 6,842 

Caribbean Basin 5,721 86,197 17,531 47,194 156,643 

'Although not located in the Caribbean Basin, Bermuda traditionally is grouped with the West 

Indies in trade statistics. 

Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies have Lumber 

exchanged positions of relative importance several 

times since 1967, with no discernable trend in any 

market. Based upon the average for the years 1981- 

83, the largest individual markets are Panama, Mexico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and 

Venezuela. Shipments to the major markets are 

highly unstable. 

About 900,000 short poles are exported to the 

Caribbean Basin annually (table 7). Mexico is the 

largest buyer, followed by Guatemala. 

Other.-Small and irregular quantities of pulpwood, wood chips, and other rough wood are exported 

to the Caribbean Basin. Mexico is normally the main 

market for these products, although two shiploads of 

wood chips were exported to Venezuela in the late 

1970's (Granskog 1982). 

Softwood exports dominate U.S. lumber shipments 

to the Caribbean Basin. Of the $86 million in lumber 

exports in 1983,83 percent was softwood lumber; the 

remainder was equally divided between hardwood 

lumber and crosstie shipments. 

Sofiwood .-Sofiwood lumber is the most important 

U.S. wood export to the Caribbean Basin, typically 

accounting for almost one-half the value of all wood 

product shipments. Pine lumber is prefed-threefourths of the softwood shipments have been southern 

pine and ponderosa and other western pines. Douglasfir and redwood are most notable among the remaining softwood exports. 

Trends and markets for softwood lumber exports to 

the Basin are best illustrated by grouping the ship- 
- WEST INDIES 

-.- MEXICO 

---- SOUTH RIM 

1967 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 

YEAR 

Figure 5.-Exports to the Caribbean Basin, by market, 1967-83. 

0 1 I I 1 I I I I I 1 1967 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 

YEAR 

Figure 6.-Utility pole exports to the Caribbean Basin, 1967-83. 

ments into two categories-southern pine and other 

softwood (figs. 7 and 8). Most southern pine is shipped 

to the West Indies, while the majority of the other 

softwood is exported to Mexico. These two markets 

were largely responsible for the rapid increase in exports of both softwood groups in 1978-81, when total 

shipments surged from 130 million to 353 million 

board feet. However, Venezuela also became a significant buyer of southern pine in 1980-82. The sharp 

decline of other softwood shipments in 1982 and 1983 

stemmed from economic problems in Mexico; the 

smaller drop in southern pine exports in 1983 was 

caused by import restrictions in Venezuela, as shipments to the West Indies continued to increase. As a 

result, southern pine's share of the softwood lumber 

exports increased from 28 percent in 1967 to 60 percent in 1983. 

Traditionally, the Caribbean Basin markets have 

purchased dressed lumber. In 1967, 95 percent of all 

southern pine and 74 percent of all other softwood 

shipped to the Caribbean Basin was dressed lumber. 

In recent years, however, rough lumber has been increasing its share of the market, to 40 percent of the 

southern pine and 38 percent of the other softwood 

lumber exported in 1983. 

Hardwood.-U.S. exports of hardwood lumber to 
Table 6.-The value of U.S. wood erports to the Caribbean Basin, by 

customs district, 1967 and 1983 

Customs 1967 -. - 1983 

district 

- - - - Thousand dollars - - - - 

South 

Charleston, SC 

Savannah, GA 

Miami, ,FL 

Tampa, FL 

Mobile, AL 

New Orleans, LA 

Other South 

Total, South 

West 

Laredo, TX 

El Paso, TX 

Nogales, AZ 

San Diego, CA 

Other West 

Total, West 

Puerto Rico 

Other 2,200 2,451 

Table 7.-Short pole exports to the Caribbean Basin, average for -- 

Mnrkcrt Number of poles 

Mexico 394,067 

Guatemala 141,700 

Honduras 86,000 

Bahamas 70,624 

Dominican Republic 53,378 

Haiti 29,518 

Netherlands Antilles 26,096 

Venezuela 24,866 

Trinidad & Tobago 22,700 

Other - 54,026 

Total 902,975 

YEAR 

Figure 7.CopWood lumber expo* to the Caribbean Basin, 1967-83. 
SOUTHERN PINE OTHER SOFTWOOD 

SOUTH RIM 

MEXICO (1%) 

CENTRAL AMERICA 

AMERICA (1 96) 

WEST INDIES 

TOTAL = 129 MILLION SO FT TOTAL = 149 MILLION 60 FT 

Figure 8.-Sofhuood lumber mwkts in the Caribbean Basin, auerage for 

1981 -83. 

the Caribbean Basin have averaged about 15 million Wood Panels 

board feet since 1980. Although modest, this level of 

shipment is roughly three times the volume exported 

in 1967. Mexico absorbs about three-quarters of the 

hardwood lumber and has accounted for most of the 

growth in hardwood lumber exports to the region; the 

remainder largely goes to the West Indies. 

Unlike other foreign markets, where shipments of 

oak dominate U.S. hardwood lumber exports, most 

shipments to the Caribbean are in the "other hardwood" category. Although oaks make up the largest 

volume that is identified by species, they usually account for only 10 to 15 percent of total shipments. 

Treated.-Treated lumber has been identified in 

the export classification system since 1978. Census 

data indicate that shipments to the Caribbean Basin 

reached a high of 7.1 million board feet in 1980 before 

declining to about 2 million board feet in 1982-83. 

However, market reports prepared by the Southern 

Forest Products Association for the Caribbean generally indicate a significant proportion of southern pine 

shipments-perhaps 20 to 30 percent-is treated 

lumber (SFPA 1981, 1982a, 1982b). If so, export 

statistics do not fully reflect the actual level of treated 

lumber shipments to the Caribbean area. In any case, 

the West Indies appears to absorb the bulk of the 

volume. 

Crossties .-Crosstie exports to Caribbean markets 

have fluctuated widely, with shipments in recent 

years often exceeding the levels of hardwood lumber 

exported to the region. After a high of 29 million 

board feet in 1980, crosstie exports declined to 7 million feet in 1982 and then rose again to 18.6 million 

feet in 1983. Mexico is the largest market and has 

accounted for much of the fluctuation. Other markets 

are Panama, Venezuela, and, in the West Indies, the 

Dominican Republic and Jamaica-the only islands 

The United States exported $18 million in wood 

panel products in 1983. Plywood accounted for 82 percent of the value; particleboard, 13 percent; and veneer, 5 percent. 

Veneer.-Almost 15 million square feet of veneer 

was exported to the Caribbean Basin in 1983. Hardwoods amounted to 12 million square feet, or fourfifths of total veneer exports (fig. 9). Hardwoods traditionally have dominated, except during 1980-81 when 

softwood veneers-mostly reinforced or backed-led 

a surge of veneer shipments to Mexico. Exports to 

Mexico plummeted in 1982 and 1983, reflecting its 

foreign debt problems. 

Plywood .-About 52 million square feet of plywood 

was exported to the Caribbean Basin in 1983. Both 

softwood and hardwood plywood exports have increased in recent years (fig. 10). 

The West Indies absorbed three-fourths of the hardwood plywood and four-fifths of the softwood plywood 

exports in 1983. The Bahamas and Trinidad-Tobago 

were the largest markets in the West Indies, followed 

by the Dominican Republic, the Cayman Islands, and 

Jamaica. Central America and the South Rim account 

for only a minor portion of either hardwood or softwood plywood exports. 

Shipments in the "other" category are primarily 

cellular panels, sandwich-type assemblies with plywood sheets bonded to both sides of a core material. 

Particleboard .-Since 1979, particleboard exports 

have averaged about 21 million square feet, with an 

annual value of about $5 million (table 8). Mexico has 

absorbed the bulk of the particleboard shipments, although Venezuela in the South Rim also was a significant market in the late 1970's. 

with railway systems. Colombia also became a signif- Misceuaneous Menufachued Pmducts icant market in 1983, due to construction of a railroad 

associated with the large Cerrejon Coal Project in that A wide variety of miscellaneous articles of wood are 

country. exported to countries throughout the Caribbean 

Crosstie exports to the Caribbean are predomi- Basin. Generally products of secondary manufacturnantly treated hardwood, although softwood ties have ing, these articles are grouped in the categories shown 

made up a majority of recent shipments to Mexico. in table 9. Because there is no common measure of 
YEAR 

Figure 9.-Veneer exports to the Caribbean Basin, by species, 1967-83. 

volume, they are shown in terms of value only; however, the deflated 1983 figures indicate whether or not 

real growth occurred. 

Prefabricated wood structures gained the most and 

now make up one-fourth of the total value of miscellaneous wood exports. Cooperage, once a major item, 

declined in importance from 15 percent of the total in 

1967 to only 2 percent in 1983. The composition of 

miscellaneous wood exports also became more diversified after 1967, as reflected in the increase in the 

"other" category from 40 percent in 1967 to 58 percent 

in 1983. 

The West Indies and Mexico have been the most 

important markets for miscellaneous wood articles, 

accounting for 59 and 26 percent of total exports in 

1983 (fig. 11). Although shipments to Central America and the South Rim have been smaller, products in 

this group are the most important wood export to 

these markets. 

DISCUSSION 

Despite recent declines in shipments to Mexico and 

Venezuela, U.S. wood product exports to the 

Caribbean Basin increased from $26 million in 1967 

to $157 million in 1983. A large portion of the increase 

was due to rising exports of softwood lumber, as U.S. 

shippers benefited from declining exports from Central America to the West Indies over the past decade. 

Future U.S. wood shipments to Caribbean markets 

will depend in large part on the rate of economic progress in the area, the actions of competing softwood 

suppliers, and whether exporting programs are designed to meet the unique characteristics of the market. Although per capita incomes are relatively low in 

the Basin countries, rapidly expanding populations 

are generating housing needs that support continuing 

imports necessitated by the lack of domestic softwood 

resources. Political instability in Central America 

has disrupted the flow of softwood lumber from that 

area, but Honduras-the largest competitor-is exTable 8.-U.S. particleboard exports to the Caribbean Basin, by 

market, 1967-83 

Central West South Year Total Mexico America Indies Rim 

------.-.----- Thousand square feet -------------- 

1967 448 235 54 159 0 

1968 544 391 12 141 0 

1969 658 541 0 117 0 

1970 521 388 0 123 10 

1971 764 657 15 92 0 

1972 1,078 661 5 412 0 

1973 2,846 2,442 168 236 0 

1974 13,148 12,583 25 1 310 4 

1975 4,803 4,027 208 498 70 

1976 11,894 8,588 163 1,253 1,890 

1977 23,261 11,199 74 1,661 10,327 

197S1 16,721 9,987 88 3,109 3,537 

1979 31,485 21,015 620 4,422 5,428 

1980 34,566 24,957 261 4,459 4,889 

1981 28,115 22,844 356 4,679 236 

1982 17,188 14,262 58 2,642 226 

1983 5,901 3,002 192 2,679 28 

'1978 data are estimates. Bureau of Census figures contain reporting errors, due to a change in the unit of measurement. 
YEAR 

Figure 10.-Plywood exports to the Caribbean Basin, by type, 1967-83. 

Figure 11.-Miscellaneous exports to the Caribbean Basin, by market, 

1967-83. 
Table 9.-U.S. exports of miscellaneous manufacdured wood articles to the CaribbeanBasin, by type, 

1967 and 198.3 

Deflated* 

1983 

Fuelwood & charcoal 264 977 

Cooperage 1,544 833 

Builder's woodwork 2,567 4,710 

Prefab. wood structures 465 11,830 

Decorative wood articles 326 466 

Wood handles 711 1,192 

Other 3,850 27,186 

Total 9,727 47,194 15,570 --- 

*Deflated using Producer Price Indexes for Wood Pmduds, 1967 = 100. 

panding its sawmilling capacity. Also, Chile has been 

a recent supplier of Radiata pine lumber in the region. 

Thus, maintaining or expanding US. shipments will 

require aggressive and innovative marketing efforts. 

A key to effective marketing in the Basin is an 

understanding of the economics of the region. Although the market is quite large when viewed as a 

whole, the individual economies are quite small and 

extremely diversified in terms of purchasing habits, 

traditions, and preferences. At any one time, some 

countries may be experiencing economic expansion 

while others are undergoing economic stress. As a 

result, the demand for a specific product may exhibit 

substantial fluctuation when viewed on a country-bycountry basis. Exporters must be aware of this demand situation and continuously monitor the markets in individual countries. 

Continuity of supply is an important factor in serving the Caribbean Basin. Though concrete is the preferred housing material, softwood lumber and plywood are used for scaffolding, concrete forms, and roof 

structures. Although wood comprises only a small 

portion of the total cost of housing, it is still an essential ingredient in construction. Lacking capital, building material suppliers typically maintain limited inventories; hence, they make small orders frequently. 

Because virtually all the wood used in construction in 

the West Indies must be obtained by ocean carrier, 

taking 2 to 6 weeks for delivery, failure to receive an 

order when scheduled may result in construction delays and thus be more costly than the extra cost of 

wood from a more dependable source. Under these 

circumstances, reliability of supply can be more important than price when choosing among suppliers. 

Caribbean wood importers also typically place 

orders for a wide mix of products, reflecting the 

Basin's dependence upon imports for much of its 

needs. Wood exporters must be willing to supply a 

variety of wood products in different sizes, grades, and 

species. This is an obstacle for many U.S. softwood 

producers, who are used to manufacturing a few commodity items for domestic markets rather than specialty items for overseas markets. On the other hand, 

softwood suppliers from other countries are often organized for export marketing, i.e., the production 

from several manufacturers is combined to meet the 

more diverse foreign demand. 

A strategy for effectively serving the Caribbean 

market may be a cooperative effort. One approach is 

to establish regional export trading companies, as authorized by the Export Trading Company (ETC) Act of 

1982. The ETC Act allows small- and medium-size 

companies the option to jointly supply a wider range 

of products to overseas markets. Also, an ETC can 

provide foreign purchasers an image of stability that 

a small, lone exporter may not possess. 

LITERATURE CITED 

Caballero, Miguel; Sosa, Victor; Marin, Juana. 

Forestry in Mexico. Journal of Forestry. 75(8): 473- 

477; 1977. 

Food and Agriculture Organization. Yearbook of 

forest products. FA0 Forestry Series 16. Rome, 

Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization of the 

United Nations; 1983. 408 p. 

Granskog, James E. Southern wood chip exports. Res. 

Note SO-279. New Orleans, LA: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station; 1982. 2 p. 

Longwood, F. R. Present and potential commercial 

timbers of the Caribbean. Agric. Handb. 207. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service; 1962. 167 p. 

Lugo, Ariel E.; Schmidt, Ralph; Brown, Sandra. Tropical forests in the Caribbean. AMBIO. lO(6): 318- 

324; 1981. 
Southern Forest Products Association. Caribbean 

market report for southern pine. New Orleans, LA: 

Southern Forest Products Association; 1981. 10 p. 

Southern Forest Products Association. Southern pine 

market report for Jamaica, Dominican Republic 

and Haiti. New Orleans, LA: Southern Forest Products Association; 1982a. 12 p. 

Southern Forest Products Association. Southern pine 

Caribbean market report for Venezuela. New Orleans, LA: Southern Forest Products Association; 

1982b. 7 p. 

U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. 

U.S. exports: schedule B. Rep. No. EA 622. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau 

of the Census; 1968-84. Magnetic tape. 

U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs. 

Background notes. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs; 1982-84. 

Individual country reports. 

U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs. 

Atlas of the Caribbean Basin. Publ. 9398. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Public 

Affairs; 1984. 16 p. 

Wisdom, Harold W.; Granskog, James E.; Blatner, 

Keith A. Wood shipments to Puerto Rico. Res. Pap. 

SO-201. New Orleans, LA: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station; 1983. 11 p. 
Wisdom, Harold W.; Granskog, James E.; Blatner, Keith A. 

Caribbean markets for U.S. wood products. Res. Pap. 50-225. 

New Orleans, LA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station; 1986. 13 p. 

U.S. exports of wood products to four Caribbean marketsMexico, Central America, the South Rim (South American 

countries bordering the Caribbean Sea), and the West Indies-are described for the years 1967 through 1983, 

Additional Keywords: Wood exports, foreign trade, forest 

products.