News Release

Softwood log exports increase

Business Announcement

USDA Forest Service - Pacific Southwest Research Station

A total of 200.0 million board feet of softwood logs was exported from Washington, Oregon, Northern California and Alaska in the first 3 months of 2008. This volume was up 2.0 percent from 196.0 million board feet in the first quarter of 2007, according to the Pacific Northwest Research Station, U.S. Forest Service.

Some 105.1 million board feet or 52.5 percent of the first quarter 2008 west coast log exports went to Japan, 77.8 million board feet or 38.9 percent went to South Korea, 8.5 million board feet or 4.3 percent went to Canada, 3.1 million board feet or 1.6 percent went to China, and 1.0 million board feet went to Taiwan.

Log exports for the first quarter of 2008 from Oregon and Washington totaled 180.4 million board feet, up 2.2 percent from the 2007 first quarter volume of 176.6 million board feet. A total of 445 thousand board feet of logs was exported from Northern California, up from 108 thousand board feet in the first quarter of 2007. Alaska exported a total of 19.2 million board feet in the first 3 months of 2008, compared with 19.3 in 2007.

Douglas-fir accounted for 53.3 percent of these log exports; western hemlock, 18.4 percent; spruce, 9 percent; and other softwoods made up the remaining 19.3 percent.

The total value of log shipments for the first 3 months of 2008 was $116.6 million at the port of exportation, and the average value was $583.18 per thousand board feet. Douglas-fir averaged $732.88 per thousand board feet; hemlock, $487.10; spruce, $374.55; and other softwoods, $1,073.75.

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Note: Data retrieved from the U.S. International Trade Commission and “Production, Prices, Employment, and Trade in Northwest Forest Industries.”


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