Top Lumber Countries
Russia Is Leading Softwood Supplier to European Union and China
While the United States produces more timber than any other country, America is also the world leader in softwood consumption.
New home construction (43% of softwood consumption) as well as renovations and repairs to existing homes (31%) drive American demand for softwood lumber products.
The fast-emerging BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India and China) are also major players in the global lumber industry.
Top Lumber Producing Countries
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations published the following statistics for round lumber production in 2003. During that year, total world production was 118 trillion cubic feet (3.34 trillion cubic meters). The following 10 countries account for 60% of world timber production.
- United States … 15.82 trillion cubic feet (13.5% of total world production)
- India … 11.33 trillion cubic feet (9.6%)
- China … 10.1 trillion cubic feet (8.6%)
- Brazil … 8.42 trillion cubic feet (7.1%)
- Canada … 6.88 trillion cubic feet (5.8%)
- Russia … 5.95 trillion cubic feet (5%)
- Indonesia … 3.96 trillion cubic feet (3.4%)
- Ethiopia … 3.32 trillion cubic feet (2.8%)
- Democratic Republic of Congo … 2.55 trillion cubic feet (2.2%)
- Nigeria … 2.47 trillion cubic feet (2.1%).
Leading Softwood Lumber Importing Countries
The following list shows the top softwood lumber importing nations in 2005.
- United States … US$8.3 billion in imported softwood (up 30% from 2001)
- European Union countries … $2.31 billion (up 35%)
- Japan … $2.3 billion (up 7%)
- Middle Eastern countries … $665 million (up 123%)
- Mexico … $318 million (up 120%)
- China … $317 million (up 250%).
Major Softwood Lumber Trade Partners
Canada accounted for 80% of softwood lumber imported into the U.S. in 2005, down from 89% in 2004. The U.S. started a series of antidumping and countervailing tariffs on Canada softwood lumber in 2002. America has lowered the total duties on Canadian timber from 27% to 11%, other countries can send their lumber exports into the U.S. without paying duties.
Russia almost doubled its softwood lumber exports into the European Union in 2005, shipping US$713 million worth of wood for a 31% EU market share.
Japan imported 42% of its softwood lumber from Canada, down from a 50% Canadian market share in 2001.
Leading all softwood lumber exporters into Mexico, Chile supplied 55% of Mexico’s total softwood imports.
Russia is a major supplier for Chinese softwood lumber importers. Russia grew its softwood exports into China to $116 million in 2005, which represents 37% of the Chinese imported softwood market. China also increased it softwood imports from Canada to $52 million in 2005 up from $9 million in 2001. Canada’s market share of Chinese imported softwood stood at about 16% in 2005.
Sources for this Article
This article presents independent calculations and insights based on data drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau – Foreign Trade Statistics and United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service.
