Title: Recent trends in the Asian forest products trade and their impact on Alaska
Description: This paper analyzes patterns of forest products trade between Asia and Alaska. Secondary data were collected and analyzed to identify Alaska forest product trading partners and the species used. Some of the many trends occurring in the Asian forest products industry include the shift from solid wood products to engineered wood products, the evolution of China as "the factory to the world" where low-cost labor enables manufacturers to produce price-competitive wood products that are shipped to markets throughout the globe, and the entry of Russia, Europe, Asia, and Southern Hemisphere nations into the market with both log and lumber products. In spite of the global economic downturn, forest products exports from several suppliers are increasing. Analysis of U.S. trade data indicates that exports of spruce (Picea spp.), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco), and western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don) logs remain strong. Likewise, Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and western redcedar lumber exports are also improving. Douglas-fir lumber exports to Japan and western hemlock lumber exports to South Korea showed strong recent gains. The outlook for continued increases in forest products exports to Asia is strong, and the authors recommend a coordinated Alaska forest products market effort targeting China, South Korea, and Japan.
Subjects: Forest products industry, Lumber trade, Forest products
Places: Alaska, Asia