Import/Export Wood Purchasing News - December 2023/January 2024

GBM MEETING – Continued from page 18
Business Trends Abroad
Richard Jiang and Dean DeCraene, Delta Cedar Specialties Ltd., Pitt
Meadows, BC; Gala Hadg Gae, British Columbia China Office, Shanghai,
China; and Mary McInnes, C2M Professional Services Inc./Restoration
Forest Products LLC, Mesa, AZ
Jeremy Pitts, Nyle Dry Kilns, Lenoir, NC; Jeremy Howard,
Nyle Dry Kilns, Brewer, ME; and Ingo Wallocha,
Nyle Dry Kilns, Hannover, Germany
James Sangara, Leslie Forest
Products Ltd., Delta, BC;
Rolf Von Lossberg, Jacob Jurgensen
Wood GmbH & Co. KG,
Hamburg, Germany
CHB MEETING – Continued from page 7
Alex Langley, Tolko Industries Ltd., Vernon, BC; Brad Hamilton,
Timberwood Innovations, Battleford, SK; Pino Pucci, Dennis Yano,
Dathan McLean, Tolko Industries Ltd., Vernon, BC
Alex Langley, Tolko
Industries Ltd., Vernon,
BC; Brad Hamilton, Timberwood
Innovations,
Battleford, SK; Pino Pucci,
Dennis Yano, Dathan
McLean, Tolko Industries
Ltd., Vernon, BC
Gabon - Heavy rain continued to impact harvesting and production in Cameroon
and the Central African Republic at the time of this writing. In Gabon, mill
output has fallen as the government enforces regulations, particularly labor laws.
The government in Gabon is taking a tough stance on labor issues given the recent
industrial action by workers in special zones. There is an increased emphasis
on hiring Gabonese workers. However, there is a shortage of skilled mechanics,
drivers, sawmill operators and heavy equipment drivers.
The government has responded by relaxing the transition period of 2-4 months
during which time companies are required to reduce their expatriate workforce in
favor of hiring Gabonese nationals.
There are reports of unresolved worker overtime pay discrepancies as some
companies in the special economic zones are yet to adhere to the government regulations.
Labor unrest has reportedly led several Indian and Chinese peeler mills
to reduce their workforce sparking concerns about unemployment and potential
production cuts.
Some Indian factories have already announced their intentions to close due to
the current uncertainties and difficult operating conditions in the special economic
zones where fees to zone management have been rising. The forestry sector
in Gabon appears to be undergoing a significant transformation toward legal
compliance with enforcement of anti-corruption measures.
The new Minister of Forestry in Gabon is actively enforcing forestry laws,
ensuring proper documentation and seizing abandoned logs over six months old.
Vietnam - The most recent data indicates that Vietnam’s wood and wood products
(W&WP) exported to the U.S. in September were recorded at $627 million,
up 9.3 percent compared to the same time a year ago.
Over the past few months W&WP exports to the U.S. have been improving.
The rate decline in W&WP exports to the U.S. in the first nine months of 2023
has slowed to $5.2 billion, down 24 percent over the same period last year.
Vietnam’s Ash imports in September 2023 were 80,400 cubic meters, worth
$19.7 million, and up 36 percent in volume and 35 percent in value from August
2023.
Over the first nine months of 2023 Ash imports reached 429,000 cubic meters,
worth $109.6 million, up 19 percent in volume and 16 percent in value over the
same period last year.
In September 2023, Vietnam’s exports of living and dining room furniture was
valued at $215 million, up two percent compared to 2022. That marked the fifth
consecutive month in which exports increased.
In September 2023, Vietnam’s exports of kitchen furniture amounted to $102
million, up 15 percent compared to September 2022. In the first nine months of
2023 exports of kitchen furniture were worth $812.5 million, down 21 percent
over the same period in 2022.
Vietnam’s Pine imports as recently as September were 92,400 cubic meters,
worth $20.5 million, 36 percent in volume and 35 percent in value compared to
August 2023. Compared to September 2022, imports increased by 25 percent in
volume and 12 percent in value.
In the first nine months of 2023, Pine wood imports reached 514,100 cubic
meters, worth $113.2 million, down 36 in volume and 49 percent in value over
the same period in 2022.
Tropical hardwoods imported into Vietnam from Africa are targeted entirely at
the domestic consumers.
This year, the freezing of the real estate market, added with the economic
slowdown, has been hampering the consumption of African hardwood. The imports
of log/sawnwoods from Africa, therefore, have reduced substantially. This
trend is forecasted to prevail in the next coming quarters.
With the steady bilateral relations between Vietnam and the U.S. due to the
Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace Cooperation and Sustainable
Development, Vietnam’s exports to the U.S. are expected to expand. Vietnamese
enterprises, including wood product manufacturers are expected to benefit.
In recent years, according to ITTO/FORDAQ, Vietnam has emerged as the top
W&WP supplier for the U.S. market and exports to the U.S. often contribute
50-to-55 percent of the total Vietnam W&WP export earnings. In the first eight
months of this year, due to the declining demand, Vietnam’s W&WP exports to
the U.S. dropped significantly.
In particular, the value of wooden furniture destined for the U.S. stood at $3.9
Continued on page 31
Terry Miller, Import/Export Wood Purchasing News, Memphis, TN; Francois Bovet, Bois
Maron Lumber, St-Eustache, QC; Stephanie Van Dystadt, Hull Forest Products Inc.,
Pomfret, CT; and Sam Glidden, GMC Hardwoods Inc., Medfield, MA
More than 70 Years
of Producing Appalachian Hardwoods
Alain Thibeault, Preverco Inc., Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, QC; Dallin Brooks,
NHLA, Memphis, TN; Nico Poulos, Weston Premium Woods Inc., Brampton, ON; and
Michael Brooks, Quality Hardwoods Ltd., Powassan, ON
Alain Thibeault, Preverco Inc., Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, QC; Claude Cadrin, C.A.
Spencer Inc., Laval, QC; Michael Brooks, Quality Hardwoods Ltd., Powassan, ON; and
Max Ross, Ontario Hardwood Products Ltd., Toronto, ON
Lowery Anderson
landerson@ralumber.com
Anthony Hammond
ahammond@ralumber.com
Ling Walker
lwalker@ralumber.com
Rusty Hawkins
rhawkins@ralumber.com
14.4 million
board feet
Warehouse & Shed Capactiy
1.1 million
board feet
Kiln Capacity
50 million
board feet
Annual Production
14 countries
Lumber Shipped
Tom Byers, NHLA, Tionesta, PA; Clayton Miller, and Ian Rowe, Aurora Timberland/
Alexandria Moulding Inc., Bradford, ON; and Shaun Rowe, Quality Hardwoods Ltd.,
Powassan, ON
Cameron McRae, McRae Lumber Co. Ltd., Whitney, ON; Simon Larocque, NHLA, Montreal,
QC; and Greg Stascavage, Missouri Walnut LLC, Neosho, MO; and Benji Richards,
NHLA, Lenoir, NC
1.800.577.5576 | INFO@RALUMBER.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/ROYANDERSONLUMBER
Page 20 Import/Export Wood Purchasing News n December 2023/January 2024
Import/Export Wood Purchasing News n December 2023/January 2024 Page 21