By Leo Quigley, AJOTWith the current slowdown in US domestic housing, American softwood producers are looking increasingly to export markets. According to a report by the Softwood Export Council, strong markets in Europe and Asia have given a lift to softwood lumber prices and have kept US softwood products competitive. Writing in the Council’s spring newsletter, Hande Buyuksahin said US exports of softwood lumber hit $591.5 million in 2006, up from $486 million in 2005. Mexico, China, Japan and the EU were the primary export destinations. Port of Olympia, WAOn July 9 port commissioners at the Port of Olympia decided to seek construction bids for a controversial new log export facility on Olympia’s Port peninsula to serve the multi-national forestry firm, Weyerhaeuser. Once completed, the 24.5 acre site is expected to handle roughly 18 ships and 30 barges of logs annually, and will generate more than 100 million board feet of wood compared to roughly 41 million board feet handled in 2004. At the time the 5-year lease was signed with Weyerhaeuser, Port Commission President, Bob Van Schoorl said the annual gross revenues that will be generated by the new log export facility are expected to reach $1.5 million, representing a significant portion of terminal revenues that were budgeted at $2.7 million in 2005. Brad Kitselman, Director of Marketing, Western Timberlands, for Weyerhaeuser said at the time of the signing, “Since we no longer own tree farms in King and Pierce Counties, the Olympia location better serves our operations in Southwest Washington. In addition, the Port of Olympia can handle larger ships than the current Tacoma export facility.” Port of TacomaOnce known as “the lumber capital of the world,” the port experienced a 105.5% increase in log, lumber and wood traffic during the first quarter of this year compared to the first quarter of 2006. This increase brought log, lumber and wood handling to 10,263 teus for Q/1. Also, wood used in floors, shingles and woodenware experienced a 4.3% increase during the first three months of this year. In 2006 the Port of Tacoma’s lumber exports were valued at $465 million. Pulp, cellulose, chem wood and sulfite export traffic, however, declined by 74% during the first three months, from 2,257 teus to 583 teus. Port of PortlandExport lumber though the port this year has been “pretty minimal,” according to John Akre, Regional Marketing Manager. “We’ve seen more lumber and wood product imports coming through.” A large portion of the wood products handled by the port are shipped from Chile in containers. As well, containerized wood products arrive at the port from China. The products include plywood and finished products such as doors and windows. “We are very quiet on the lumber front,” Akre said. “Lumber used to be one of our key export commodities, but now it’s a very small percentage. Port of Coos BayIn 2003 Weyerhaeuser Company closed its local North Spit paper mill and since that time the property has remained essentially unused. However, in June of last year the port finalized a property purchase agreement for the acquisition of the 1,300 acres to be used for marine and industrial development. While Coos Bay was once an important lumber port, Martin Callery, Director of Communications and Freight Mobility, told AJOT that lumber has become increasingly less important over the year. “At one time we were a very significant exporter of manufactured lumber. Now, however, there’s a lot of manufactured lumber, and plywood shipped through the port, but it is primarily short sea shipped, heading for the Los Angeles Basin.” Coos Bay does export a lot of wood fibre, primarily in the form of wood chips, primarily to Japan. This traffic represents roughly 2.4 million tons a year. The port does move some raw logs, which go to facilities on the Columbia River and Puget Sound. Canadian lumber industry facing challengesCanada’s lumber industry, which supplies about one-third of the lumber