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Softwood Export Council Newsletter
April 2009
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AmSo China Mission and Interzum Guangzhou
2009 |
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By Hande Buyuksahin
During the last week of March and first week of
April the SEC launched its China mission. The
SEC and its members, PLEA, PCC and MMPA,
exhibited in Interzum Guangzhou 2009 trade show.
Following week was for AmSo seminars in
Guangzhou, Dalian and Xi'an.
According to show organizers, Interzum
Guangzhou 2009 ended on a positive note,
attracting 60,697 trade buyers from the DIY
(Do-it-yourself) and BIY
(Build-it-yourself); Furniture
manufacturing; Furniture wholesale and
retail; Interior design sectors. This is an
increase of 6 per cent over 2008's 57,073
visitors. And despite the global economic
slowdown, there was a general optimism among
the suppliers and manufacturers at the fair.
The AmSo booth was located in US pavilion
which was a good opportunity for the members
to be found by Chinese buyers. The booth had
attracted 250 visitors during the 4 day long
show. The quality of the visitors and the
exhibitors were noteworthy. The SEC members
had also chance to visit a Guangzhou port
and timber market.
After the Interzum 2009 show, SEC continued
its seminar mission to Dalian, Xi'an,and
Shanghai. The seminars were designed to
educate and promote US western softwood
species and applications. The presenters of
the seminars were, Don Wallace, Tom Kelly
from Neil Kelly Company and Jesse Yang from
Taiwan.
The seminars were introduced by local
Chinese officials. The majority of the
participants were architects , designers and
builders. Chinese officials such as,
International Trade department of Xi'an gave
a opening speech in the seminars about the
importance of learning the new technology
and building materials. The mission was
informative for both sides. Chinese
architects learned how to use US Western
softwood species while U.S. side learned the
current design trends in China.
Next SEC mission will be in September.
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Architecture and Construction Materials Show
2009 Japan |
 By
Tomoko Igarashi
SEC and APA exhibited in the 'Architecture and
Construction Materials Show 2009 ' held from
March 3 to March 6, 2009 at Tokyo Big Site. The
members of SEC, WWPA, PLEA, EBPA and CTED, State
of Washington participated in the show. AmSo
booth displayed the photo panels of the most
recent U.S. softwood projects such as 'Makuhari
Internation School' and 'Takachiba Shoji New
Office Building' made with U.S. manufactured
Glulam and U.S.Douglas Fir lamstock. These
projects attracted audience in terms of its
structural design, strength, beauty of grain,
and sustainable material.
In terms of the U.S. softwood lumber market
to Japan in 2008, it was about 236,000cm3
(100 million BF) which was about 53% upward
compared to 2007. In addition, Douglas fir
was about 200,000cm3 ( 85 million BF) which
was 82.5% increase compared to 2007.
In addition, the U.S. export to Japan is
still stable. The export volume from January
to February 2009 was approximately
42,600cm3(18 million BF) which was about
99.8% increase compared to the same period
of the previous year. The market is still
growing.
Therefore, some of visitors showed interests
in cut samples of Douglas Fir including
Taruki (Baby Square) for its quality, fine
grain, and market.
The most frequently-asked questions were the
features of each species such as Douglas
Fir, Hem Fir, Ponderosa Pine, Southern Pine
as well as the usage for structural members,
demand, the way of exports, major projects,
and etc.,
The total number of participants was 236,740
for four-day trade show including other five
shows including 'Architecture and
Construction Materials Show 2009','Japan
Shop 2009', 'Security Show 2009', and
'Lighting Fair' and etc.,
The next show American Softwoods Japan
Office conducts will be 'Total Construction
Material Show 2009' at Intex Osaka ' from
June 2 to 5, 2009.
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Market Report- The Mediterranean Region |
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By Ignacio Martinez
Update of the man economical indicators of the
Mediterranean countries
Euro
Trade
Euro
area external trade deficit amount up to 10.5 bn
euro in January 2009
26.3 bn euro deficit for EU27.
Concerning the total trade of Member States, the
largest surplus was observed in Germany (+175.5
bn euro in 2008), followed by the Netherlands
(+40.5 bn) and Ireland (+28.0 bn). The United
Kingdom (-118.0 bn) registered the largest
deficit, followed by Spain (-90.5 bn), France
(-67.9 bn), Greece (-35.7 bn), Poland (-24.6 bn),
Portugal (-23.2 bn) and Romania (-22.7 bn).
The countries with a poor record on exports like
most of the Mediterranean region will need to
increase their competitive strengths in order to
recover in a short time. Otherwise they will
undergo a long recessive period beyond todays
expectations. This applies particularly to the
UK and to Spain. Italy has a good record of
exports, therefore it may be possible to find it
with the leading group to reverse the current
recession. Latest data available show the stop
of imports in virtually all the European
countries. We see a -24% decrease of total
imports from Spain,, -9.8 inItaly, -8.2% in
Portugal, including a significant -4.2 and -3.3
for France and Germany respectively.
For the wood importing countries, this is a
reflection of how weak the imports are at
present. Later in this paper there is an
indication of the evolution of the wood imports
in Spain during 2008.
Spain
Softwood Sector
The wood sector in Spain is going
through a complex situation. Several wood
industries are closing the door, while the
overall wood demand is reduced sharply. In the
words of the Wood Importers Association
chairman, Mr. Gabarró, " it is time of hard work
for little money, but it is also time for
opportunities". He advocated to weather the
storm with the hope on better times in the short
term.
The opinions among the wood importers reflect a
sour reality: sales in clear fall around 30 to
40% less than the year before as an average,
customers closures and sawmills layoffs in
Europe and Africa, unavoidable cost reductions,
too large stocks in the lumberyards, an
increasingly exiguous market coupled with wood
sales at times under purchase cost. All these
factors are inducting a rather wild competition.
It will also contribute to a more difficult
replenishing of lumber stocks at the time the
crisis is over.
Everybody is looking anxiously to find signs of
recovery. Expectations are that a change of the
trend could be expected by the turn of the year
or the first part of 2010, but this is more a
hope than any facts based prediction. Until then
the only recipe on what there is a general
consensus is that of cutting costs and wait as
long as possible. Among the flow of bad news
some pointed out the announcement of a possible
price recovery in origin towards the end the
current year and first months in 2010. This
opinion is based on the production halt in the
USA and Northern European countries. Thus, as
demand starts picking up there will not be
enough lumber near the consumption nodes to
satisfy it. While the production restores an
activity level capable of handling that point,
the importers forecast a price increase.
With this scenario at sight, the importers
president requested a positive approach and a
return to the values used by responsible company
managers. It is obliged an ethical regeneration
inside the business, the return to the culture
of hard work, it is time to work hard for a
modest return, but even the crisis can offer
opportunities. To make the best of them we need
to reorganise our companies, invest in talent,
in working teams, and work as if we were
starting from scratch. All our skills need to be
applied to the task of adapting to this
environment. At the end it is the price of
returning to normal affairs.
Among the key focus areas of activity for the
association in 2009, is the endorsement of a
mandate to promote actively the use of certified
lumber. To this end it has been approved the
publication of a monograph on certified wood
lumber and sources. The importers association
advocates the use of wood as a contemporary
material, both in construction and decoration,
thanks to its technical, design a environmental
qualities compared with other materials
intensively used in the last century like
aluminium,, pvc, steel and concrete.
Wood Industry
Preference for softwoods in the molding industry
The wood industrial sector related with the
molding industry has adopted finger joint stock
as a main source for raw material. Preferences
are on low density wood with restrained movement
after seasoning. Tropical supplies becoming
increasingly more difficult or unpredictable
quality wise, has pushed this industry to seek
other alternatives. For these reasons, today the
implantation of Radiata pine is a success. This
material is supplied finger jointed, dried to a
8% moisture content, and cut to final sizes per
the customer's specifications. Purchase orders
in the range of 500 to 1000 cubic meters are not
uncommon in the frame moulding industry. Country
of origin: Chile. Trials with
The finger joint material, planned 4 sides and
square edged, is typically supplied to a 10'
length in three main thicknesses: 20 mm
(25/32"), 25 mm (1") and 30 mm (1 3/16") by 35
mm, in 5 mm increments in width up to 70 mm.
These members are glued together according to
the specific profile frame and machined
accordingly. Finally ,a coat of plaster is
applied over what decoration for the finished
frame follows. This use is not directly impacted
by the construction stagnation, therefore still
maintains interesting activity levels.
The
Spanish molding industry is a net exporter
to Europe of this type of product and it
competes well with other suppliers because
its largely specialized skills required and
technology involved. This means is
reasonably protected from low cost molding
imports from Far East countries.
Italy
Data available from statistical sources for
the current year are behind schedule
regarding the import trades. In the table
below, data furnished by Istat, the Italian
statistical agency, softwood import volumes
for January 2009 are available only for
third countries. This is due to the
reporting requirements. Intra European trade
has only recently reinstated the need to
report on volume data also. However this
information is only available long after and
fragmentary and lacks quite often
consistency.
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PRODUCT |
SOFTWOOD |
SOFTWOOD |
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PARTNER/PERIOD |
Jan. 2008 |
Jan. 2009 |
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AUSTRIA |
200263 |
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CANADA |
2161 |
3238 |
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SWITZERLAND |
8000 |
6406 |
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CZECH REPUBLIC) |
16085 |
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GERMANY
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53952 |
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FINLAND |
13074 |
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FRANCE |
2046 |
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POLAND |
3676 |
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ROMANIA |
7636 |
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RUSSIAN
FEDERATION (RUSSIA) |
16316 |
1930 |
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SWEDEN |
11750 |
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SLOVAKIA |
8901 |
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UNITED STATES |
2830 |
2232 |
Despite it, clearly the
volume of softwood imported has seen a
reduction, with the episodic increase for
Canada. As more information is added into the
system, we will be able to confirm this trend.
Recently adopted financial measures at a
worldwide level may help lifting the conditions
that have depressed the market to the current
levels.
The Italian
wood association Fedecomlegno just launched a
publicity campaign to promote the use of
certified wood in exterior carpentry. It is
based on the concepts of renewability and and
energy saving values. Fedecomlegno seeks
reinforcing the image of wood as a natural
material that carries answers for todays needs.
The campaing uses three icons linked with the
motto: Think further pass into wood. It includes
the view of a mountain against a blue sky, at
the base a forest and in first instance a wooden
window frame. The underlying messages being:
With the wood window, carbon dioxide is
captured, and the air we breathe is cleaner,
while achieving a substantial energy saving. A
number of Italian associations related with the
promotion of wood like Promolegno and Vero Legno
are participating with Fedecomlegno in this
promotional campaign during 2009.
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Upcoming
Trade Shows and Seminars |
April
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Dubai
Wood, April 21-23 Dubai
May
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Interzum, May 13-16 Koln
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Design Build Australia May 21-23 Sydney
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USCB
Sales Mission May 11-15 Fuzhou, Kunming
and Chengdu
June
- SEC Spring Meeting - June 11
- Sacramento
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Total Construction - Osaka - June 3-6
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Interbuild Egypt - Cairo - June 18-22
August
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Tecno Meuble
Guadalajara August 19-22
September
- FMC China September 9-12 Shanghai
- SEC Chinainterior seminars
- USCB mission
October
- EXPO CIHAC October 14-17 Mexico City
- Interbuild 2009
October 18-21, NEC Birmingham
November
- Maderalia November 3-6 Valencia Spain
- Japan Home and Building Show Novemebr
11-13 Tokyo
www.softwood.org/calender
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Softwood Export Council-
Promoting the expansion of export markets
for primary and secondary softwood products
manufactured in the United States.
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Softwood Export
Council Phone: 503-248-0406
520 SW 6th Ave, Suite
810 Fax: 503-248-0399
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1998-2010 Softwood Export
Council (SEC)
PO Box 80517 Portland, Oregon 97280 USA
Telephone: 1-503-620-5946 Fax: 1-503-684-8928
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