Dean Alanko of Allegheny Wood Products gave an overview of the Eastern hardwood industry. The timber resource is in good shape, but a paradigm shift in hardwood lumber consumption has occurred since the Great Recession. Because of shrinking grade lumber use — attributed to the collapse of the housing industry, which is slowly recovering — markets for industrial lumber now comprise the dominant sector. When grade prices fell after the housing industry collapse, hardwood sawmills had to realign to produce more industrial lumber, a trend that has continued. Based on 2018 data, industrial markets will use 53.1 percent of hardwood lumber and grade markets, 46.9 percent.
Among the industrial markets, the pallet industry dominates, consuming 69 percent of industrial hardwood lumber. The railroad tie industry takes 23 percent, and the remaining 8 percent goes for board road and crane mats, reports from PALLET ENTERPRISE.
Read more...According to ARCHITECTURE DESIGN, Australia’s Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has launched an Australian certification standard for responsible forestry, achieving a ground-breaking first in the protection and management of the nation’s forest wealth.
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Waste wood is a precious resource that is available in large volumes and may be used either for material recycling or energy production, depending on the quality grade.
Read more...According to ITTO, Ghana exported a total volume of 173,899 cu.m of wood products during the first half of 2018 and earned Eur 103 million according to data from the latest, but as yet unpublished, Ghana Timber Industry Development Division (TIDD) export report. For the first half 2018 the volume of exports grew almost 14 percent while the value of exports expanded 24 percent.
Nine out of the 17 wood products exported recorded positive growth in the first half of 2018 as against the 2017 figures.
Read more...According to Vice Chairman and General Secretary of Vietnam Timber and Forest Product Association (VIFORES) Nguyen Ton Quyen, EU is considered a very important market for Vietnamese timber products. FLEGT-VPA will help Vietnam export directly to 28 European countries without having to go through intermediary countries.
Read more...Most wood processors refer to the domestic market as balanced. Europe and the US continue to have strong demand for clear sawn timber. These markets have been strong all year. The Australian market is heading for oversupply in framing and treated sawn timber as more supply arrives from Europe. The European market is oversupplied for framing. It is interesting to note the European demand for clear sawn timber is strong- yet they are oversupplied for framing, according to interest.co.nz.
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Natural and recycled materials, upcycling or shabby chic are among the ongoing mega trends of neo-ecology. Innovative dealers can profit from this, together with the manufacturers, suppliers, designers, interior designers or planners, who introduce the corresponding furniture and furnishings onto the market.——By ambista, Koelnmesse GmbH
Read more...According to EUWID, it is estimated that 15-20m m³ of beetle wood will be harvested in Czech forests this year. This could even exceed the average cutting rate of 17m m³ per year in recent years. This was explained by Czech Agriculture Minister Miroslav Toman at a press conference held yesterday. Up to now, the Ministry of Agriculture had assumed 10-12m m³ of beetle wood for the current year. In 2016 and 2017 the amount of damaged wood was 4m m³ and 6m m³ respectively.
In order to relieve the burden on the Czech roundwood markets, the felling of fresh timber also ain private forests is to be stopped completely for one year. In order to implement the logging stop, an amendment to the Forestry Act is necessary, which is to be passed swiftly by parliament. The state forestry company Lesy Ceské republiky (Lesy CR) had already stopped cutting fresh wood in March in order to concentrate on processing beetle wood.
In addition, the bark beetle infestation is to be determined as accurately as possible by mid-November in order to prepare effective control for the coming spring. The budget of the Ministry of Agriculture for 2019 will be increased by CZK 650m (around €25m) in order to finance the processing of the beetle wood produced in the state forest. Of this, CZK 200m is earmarked for the afforestation of damaged woodland. Private forest owners will receive financial support for the processing of timber and compensation for loss of income from the sale of timber. The reduction in income is estimated at CZK 2.7bn.
Read more...As the sixth largest producer and the world's fourth largest exporter of furniture, Poland is investing in the expansion of its production capacities as it sets to strengthen its position further in the worldwide market, reports from Industry Europe.
The Association of Furniture Manufacturers estimates that furniture valued at just under CHF 13 billion in 2017, an 8 percent increase over the previous year. Further growth of approximately 10 percent is expected for 2018.
One of the issues of Polish furniture exporters is that Polish brands aren't known on an international platform. Additionally, sales abroad are mainly via large retail chains. As furniture manufacturing is one of the Polish economy's strategic sectors, the industry can count on state support. The new Polish Furniture program is aimed to support promotional activities and the development of new markets.
Moreover, investment funds have been developed to invest in companies from the industry. The Polish Development Fund highlights that in order to maintain its strong international position and in light of rising labour costs and the shortage of skilled workers, new business models and increased capital expenditures are required.
Read more...A cooperation and investment agreement was recently signed between China Forestry Group Corporation and the administration in Ba’nan district of Chongqing municipality. An investment of RMB23 billion will be used to build timber trade ports, a timber processing zone and a wood products demonstration and trading centre in Western China.
Currently in China the timber ports and industrial zones are mainly distributed in coastal areas and along the border areas and there is a gap in the southwestern regions of China.
The new infrastructure will result in large volumes of imported timber entering the southwestern regions and this will cut transportation costs for enterprises in the region and will also expand employment opportunities.
It is forecast that demand for timber would expand to 100 million cubic metres in the southwestern region including Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangxi provinces, Xizang Autonomous Region and Chongqing municipality.
Chongqing municipality is the distribution centre in southwestern China and the technology for timber processing mills is well established and production costs are very competitive, say analysts.
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