French Timber Federation expects hardwood lumber production to exceed 1.6 million m3 this year as Euro-US$ exchange rate reduces competition from U.S. imports
Wendy Lisney
LOS ANGELES
,
September 27, 2011
(Forestweb)
–
The French Timber Federation expects the country's production of sawn hardwood to exceed 1.6 million m3 this year, returning to 2008 levels.
Production dropped to 1.32 million m3 in 2009 and last year reached 1.5 million m3, according to a report by U.K. timber industry magazine TTJ.
Jacques Ducerf, president of French hardwood promotion organization APCEF, said the increase had been supported by growing export markets, particularly in Northern Europe. He noted that while the Euro-U.S. dollar exchange rate remains at around US$1.5, French producers are less hampered by exchange rate issues, especially in markets where they are not competing with American oaks.
A group of 11 French sawmills have formed an export sales group focusing on the Chinese market, and says it has successfully persuaded Chinese buyers to buy sawn timber rather than logs.
The primary source of this article is TTJ, The Timber Industry Magazine, Sidcup, U.K. on Sept. 27, 2011.
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