Authors: ​Jean M. Daniels and John Perez-Garcia ​Executive SummaryLumber manufacturing remains an economically important industry in the State of Washington. The sector has added value to Washington’s timberlands and continues to generate the majority of regional timber demand. Lumber production contributes to rural economic development and employment. Lumber manufacturing has remained particularly viable in western Washington, […]

Author: ​Ivan Eastin Executive SummaryJapan is a timber deficit country that requires substantial volumes of imported timber to meet its domestic demand for wood. To a large degree, wood demand in Japan is tied to housing starts where approximately 43% of new homes are framed with wood. This reliance on imported wood has always caused a […]

Authors: ​Joseph A. Roos, Daisuke Sasatani, Valerie Barber and Ivan Eastin ​Executive SummaryWith the U.S. housing market at a seventeen year low, it is becoming increasingly important to find global markets for U.S. forest products. One market that values Alaska forest products and offers tremendous opportunity is Japan.  However, due to a previously strong U.S. Dollar, […]

Authors: ​Joseph A. Roos, Valerie Barber, Daisuke Sasatani and Ivan Eastin ​Executive SummaryThe Japanese glulam beam market has been growing steadily since the early 1990’s. From 1993 to 2007, total glulam beam usage increased from 199,300 cubic meters to 1,814,100 cubic meters. Japanese glulam beam supply comes from both domestic production and imports.  In 2007, 65% […]