Seattle, WA – The volume of log exports from the US and Canada to Asia during the first quarter of this year climbed 14 percent over the first three months of last year and 30 percent more than the same quarter in 2012, according to industry consultancy Wood Resources International LLC.

Almost 53 percent of the exports were shipped from the US Northwest, while 41 percent originated from British Columbia and the remaining share split between Alaska, California and the US South.

Log exports from the US South increased by the highest rate of any North American region with a 130 percent surge in shipments to China, Japan and other Asian countries, the group said.

There are nine ports that handle breakbulk log shipments along the US West Coast with the Port of Longview, Washington, exporting more logs than all the other eight ports combined. Over the past five quarters, each of the eight ports shipped an average of one vessel per month, while the Port at Longview loaded one vessel for Asia every three days.

The most interesting development the past year, said Wood Resources, has been the sharp increase in shipments of logs in containers from the US South to Asia, mainly China and India.

Total shipments of southern yellow pine were up 130 percent for the period January through May this year compared to the same period last year, and volumes are already 70 percent more than they were for all of 2012.

Combined with the first reported bulk shipload departing from the Port of Baton Rouge in May, “we are likely to see increased exports of logs from the Southern states in the coming years,” the consultancy said.

08/05/2014