Prospects for U.S. Trade in Timber Products

This paper is the first in a series of four that examines U.S. timber product trade prospects and their Implications to the year 2030. For the United States, the period of the 1960s and 1970s was one of expansion of both imports and exports. In the case of imports, growth in volume was dominated by softwood lumber, newsprint, and pulp primarily from Canada, and hardwood veneer and plywood primarily from South Korea and the Southeast Asian countries. In the case of exports, growth in volume was dominated by softwood logs and chips primarily to Japan; softwood lumber and plywood primarily to Japan, western Europe, and Canada; and pulp, paper, and board primarily to western Europe, Canada, and Japan. There are lingering questions regarding the impacts of this trade on our international and domestic objectives. An assessment of trade prospects is necessary for the identification of market opportunities for both public and private sectors. Such assessment is also of importance for reviewing our trade policy options with respect to domestic pricesand employment, balance of payments, our relations with trading partners, and national security. Finally, an assessment of trade prospects is necessary for judging the adequacy of our domestic timber and supply programs.

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