USD 45.05M of American hardwood lumber and veneer were exported to the MENA region including Pakistan during the first six months of this year, according to the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the leading international trade association for the American hardwood industry. This marks a 4% increase over the same period in 2012. Of this total, exports of American hardwood lumber reached a value of USD 31.29M and a volume of 45,676 cubic meters, marking an increase of 0.5% and 3% respectively over the January to June period of 2012. Direct shipments of US hardwood veneers to the MENA region during the period reached a total value of USD 13.76m, rising by 14% from the same period last year. In addition, US hardwood log exports to the MENA region reached a value of USD 14m and a volume of 26,653 cubic meters during the same time period.
In terms of species, 29% of the volume of American hardwood lumber shipped to the MENA region during the six-month period was accounted for by red oak (13,367 cubic meters), remaining unchanged from the same period in 2012. At the same time, shipments of tulipwood to the region picked up significantly from the first half of last year, rising by 38% to 5,565 cubic meters. Exports of American walnut lumber to the region during the January to June period of this year were much weaker and fell by 40% in volume to 2,177 cubic meters, as compared to the same period in 2012. In veneers, exports were dominated by red oak, with significant volumes of walnut, white oak and maple. It is important to note that American hardwood veneers are also shipped to the region from European countries and China, while veneers are also produced in the region – notably in Turkey – from imported American hardwood logs.
“The MENA region as a whole is demonstrating strong demand for American hardwoods. With the value of completed construction projects set to reach USD 81.6bn in 2013, which represents a 19% increase over 2012, the outlook for the second half of the year looks positive. Market reports also indicate that a two-paced growth is likely in 2013 with residential, retail and commercial sector construction projects growing at slower rates of 4.4%, 4 % and 13% to USD 30.7bn, USD 2.5 bn and USD 13.8bn respectively. However, hospitality, education and medical projects will grow at faster rates of 27%, 69% and 79% respectively to USD 27bn, USD 8.8bn and USD 5.9bn, which augurs well for exports of U.S. hardwoods to the region,” said Roderick Wiles, AHEC Director for Africa, Middle East, South Asia and Oceania.
A closer look at markets across the region reveals strong demand for American hardwood lumber in the UAE (USD 3.98m), Turkey (USD 3.59m), Saudi Arabia (USD 3.42m), Egypt (USD 4m), and Pakistan (USD 3.85m). Shipments of American hardwood lumber to Lebanon (USD 1.57m), Jordan (USD 2.17m) and Qatar (USD 840,000) held up reasonably well during the first six months of the year, while exports to Morocco (USD 923,000) more than doubled. With respect to U.S. hardwood veneers, Turkey passed Egypt to become the number one destination for U.S. hardwood veneers and direct shipments to Turkey accounted for 38% of all the American hardwood veneer exported to the region, at a value of USD 5.23m. Other key veneer markets were Egypt (USD 5.19m), Lebanon (USD 1.51m) and the UAE (USD 791,000).
