The cost of transporting B.C. lumber to world markets is critical to the industry's competitiveness. Because B.C. is so far from some of its major markets the end cost of lumber includes a higher transportation cost than many international competitors. Transportation carriers deliver lumber to the United States market by all surface modes of transportation.
Rail is the dominant mode of transportation.
B.C. sawmills shipped 5.5 billion feet, or 60 per cent by rail in 1996, while road accounted for 3.3 billion board feet, or 36 per cent and waterborne shipments totalled 359 million board feet, or 4 per cent. Overall shipment to the United States totalled 9.1 billion board feet. B.C. waterborne lumber exports to offshore markets amounted to 3.1 billion board feet in 1996.