According to data released on August 5, 2021 by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), the United States exported 603,752.2 metric tons of wood pellets in June — up from 513,608 metric tons in May but down from 684,030.2 metric tons in June 2020.
News in international markets
Japanese Housing Starts Post 4th Consecutive Monthly Gains
Total housing starts in Japan posted their fourth consecutive monthly increase in June, rising 7.3% to 76,312 units. Owner occupied housing increased 10.6%, while rental housing rose 11.8%.
Swiss Krono Group Invests $273.5 Million Towards the Construction of Russia’s Largest OSB Plant
The Russian News Agency, TASS, on Wednesday (8-4-21), reported that the Swiss Krono Group is making an investment of approximately 20 billion rubles ($273.5 million) towards the construction of Russia’s largest oriented strand board (OSB) plant in Sharya, located in the Kostroma Region.
Brazilian Exports of Wood-Based Products Increased 82% Year-Over-Year in June 2021
According to the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), the value of Brazilian exports of wood-based products (except pulp and paper) increased 82% in value year-over-year from US$216.9 million in June 2020, to US$394.3 million in June 2021.
U.S. Becomes Fourth Largest Export Market for Sarawak Plywood
Japan has long been the number one export market for Sarawak plywood, produced in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. However, demand in Japan has been weakened by depressed prices due to stiff competition from Indonesian suppliers and Japanese produced softwood plywood. The U.S. is now the fourth largest export market for Sarawak plywood.
Morgan Sawmill Owners Hope to Help Alleviate Structural Timber Shortage
Australia’s Federal Government’s Home Builder Scheme, which was launched more than 12 months ago in response to the coronavirus pandemic, is running into a structural timber shortage which is threatening to detail the state’s housing boom. Morgan Sawmill located in Jamestown is proposing to build a second mill, located in Dublin, capable of producing enough structural lumber to build about 500 homes a year.
Heavy Congestion at New Zealand Ports Leads to Logging Industry Frustration and Market Fluctuations
New Zealand forestry contractors are reporting that they are losing money, work, and jobs due to fluctuations in the timber markets and major delays at the country’s ports. Driven by extreme demand for logs from China and other international markets, New Zealand timberland owners in the first half of 2021 raced to harvest as many logs as possible to take advantage of record high prices.
Setra Group Announces Investment in New Saw Line for Small Diameter Logs at their Skinnskatteberg Mill
Setra Group, one of Sweden’s largest wood products companies with eight sawmills and three processing plants, announced on Tuesday (7-13-21) that they were investing in a new saw line for small diameter logs at their facility in Skinnskatteberg. The investment will provide major efficiency improvement and increase resource utilization.
Wildfires Rage in Russia, Spain, the U.S. and Canada
While we read and hear about forest fires in the U.S. and Canada, the same unusually hot weather is taking its toll around the globe. In Russia, forest fires have broken out in the Chelyabinsk region close to the border with Kazakhstan, as well as in north-eastern Siberia. The Ministry of Emergency Situations said it has deployed aircraft and a helicopter to fight the fires, as well as 240 personnel to Chelyabinsk where two large villages have been evacuated.
Australia’s Building Boom Leads to a Surge in Sawmill Employment
According to analysis provided by the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA), the COVID-19 pandemic has fueled a building boom in the country, and as a result Australia’s timber framing sawmills have increased employment by almost 25%. This analysis is in stark contrast to reported Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) global trends that suggested that timber processing employment would fall.