West coast lumber and log exports increased in value, volume in third quarter of 2013

Lumber and log exports from Washington, Oregon, northern California, and Alaska both increased dramatically in the third quarter of 2013, compared to this time last year, the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station reported. Lumber exports grew by 50 percent both in value and volume compared to the third quarter of 2012, while log exports increased by nearly 40 percent in value and about 25 percent in volume.

"Demand from China is the major reason for the increased lumber exports we saw in the third quarter," said Xiaoping Zhou, a research economist with the station who compiled the data.

Compared to the second quarter of 2013, west coast lumber exports jumped by 21 percent and totaled 279 million board feet. Log exports decreased by about five percent to 514 million board feet.

The total value of lumber exported from the west coast in the third quarter of 2013 increased by 16 percent to $200 million, while the total value of logs exported from the west coast decreased about 10 percent to $359 million, compared to the second quarter of 2013.

In the third quarter of 2013, China imported 116 million board feet of west coast lumber, a 45-percent increase from the second quarter of the year. At west coast ports, 41 percent of outgoing lumber and 64 percent of outgoing logs were destined for China during the third quarter of this year.

Other highlights:

• Total U.S. lumber exports in the first nine months of 2013 increased about 10 percent compared to the same period in 2012, while the value increased over 14 percent;
• Total U.S. log exports in the first nine months of 2013 increased by about 22 percent compared to the same period in 2012, while the value increased by more than 28 percent;
• West coast lumber exports during the first nine months of 2013 represented 30 percent of the total U.S. lumber export, a 2-percent increase compared to the same period in 2012;
• West coast log exports during the first nine months of 2013 represented 60 percent of the total U.S. log export, a 2-percent increase in the share compared to the same period of 2012.