International Marketing Practices

In 2017, China far surpassed other countries as the largest importer of both softwood and hardwood roundwood. The United States was not among the top five importers of either softwood or hardwood roundwood in the period of analysis; however, it was a major exporter of roundwood, along with Russia (Table 1). Global trade of softwood roundwood increased steadily from 2007 to 2017. Some shifts can be observed in softwood roundwood trade over the 10-year analysis period, such as export growth in New Zealand and the Czech Republic and import success in Germany, Sweden, and Canada. For hardwood roundwood imports, Italy and Spain were displaced by Portugal and Belgium; Germany moved to be a top hardwood roundwood exporter, while Uruguay dropped from the list. In 2017 (last year of available data), the United States exported 11.2 million m 3 of softwood and hardwood logs, 9.0 million m 3 of which were in softwood species [8]. The top buyers of U.S. roundwood were China, Japan, Canada, South Korea, and Vietnam. The U.S. imported 0.9 million m 3 of roundwood in 2017, and imports came primarily from Canada, China, Guyana, and Australia (Table 2).

Table 2. Top five U.S. industrial roundwood trade partners, 2007-2017 [8]. All quantities in thousand m 3 .

Softwood Roundwood

Imports

Exports

2007 (1,725)

2017 (407)

2007 (7,022)

2017 (9,022)

Canada China Mexico Ghana Cameroon

1,719 Canada

402 Canada 3 Japan 0.8 Korea 0.5 China 0.4 Mexico

2,682 China 2,495 Japan 1,200 Canada 256 Korea

4,843 1,754 1,689

1.9 China 1.0 France 0.8 Germany 0.5 Indonesia

435

110 Vietnam

82

Hardwood Roundwood

Imports

Exports

2007 (73)

2017 (492)

2007 (2,016)

2017 (2,213)

Canada China Mexico Nigeria

59 Canada 2.9 Guyana 2.2 China 1.7 Australia 1.6 Switzerland

465.0 Canada 12.2 China

723 China 419 Canada 137 Vietnam

1,207

702

3.9 Italy

84 48 34

2.2 Vietnam 1.7 Germany

75 Italy 75 Japan

Brazil

Softwood Lumber Global exports of softwood lumber in 2017 amounted to 128 million m 3 , 15% higher than in 2007 (Table 3). Canada, Russia, Sweden, and Germany were among the top five exporters of softwood lumber in 2007 and 2017; however, Finland moved ahead of Germany in 2017. One-third of softwood lumber production is exported; thus, major producers do not necessarily match with top exporters. For example, the United States was the major producer of softwood lumber, accounting for 15%

11