Newsletter
NewsNote – May 10
Markets in Tunisia Show Promise A dozen wood industry representatives toured potential destinations for Southern Pine exports to Tunisia recently. The North African country is a society – and a lumber market – in transition. As it moves to democracy following a rebellion last year, the nation is saddled with high unemployment and slowing growth. Despite those facts, Tunisia recorded a 25% increase in lumber consumption between 2010 and 2011. SFPA’s Richard Kleiner, director of international development and Charles Trevor, SFPA’s UK consultant, led the delegation through five days of visits with Tunisian importers and agents. “With a talented and well-educated middle class, Tunisia could be a significant market for exports of American softwoods,” Charles noted in his trip report. Tunisia enjoys close links with Libya, its neighbor to the east and a growing market for lumber imports from America. Currently, the Tunisian market is dominated by low-quality products from...
read moreNewsNote – May 3
New Website Promotes Expo 2013 SFPA has launched a new website announcing the next Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Exposition – Expo 2013 – check out www.sfpaexpo.com. Featuring easy navigation, the new site is an online resource, providing all the details an exhibitor or attendee needs to know about this premiere event. Coming June 6-7 next year to Hall A of Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center, the show will be a first-class marketplace for the wood products industry’s equipment and services. Expo 2013 presents a unique face-to-face networking opportunity. Exhibitors will greet an audience of top management and purchasing executives from around the globe. “Where else can you test-drive so many different products in one place and at one time?” asks Eric Gee, SFPA’s exposition director. “Expo continues to evolve with technological advances in our industry, and the 2013 event will be another great opportunity to see what’s new to help boost an...
read moreNewsletter – April 19
Dubai Show Attracts a Crowd More than 400 exhibitors from 34 countries showcased their latest products and technologies at the recent Dubai Wood Show, the premiere event for the wood industry in the Middle East and North Africa. Over three days, twelve delegates representing American Softwoods received more than 300 visitors to their wood products display; more than half expressed serious interest in purchasing products. The show drew a quality crowd – importers, distributors, and design professionals – from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Pakistan, India and Saudi Arabia. “This event has earned a reputation as the leading timber exhibition in the region through the creation of investment opportunities and business potential for the participants and visitors,” says Charles Trevor, SFPA’s American Softwoods representative based in the UK. “Our display aimed to introduce Arab visitors to US softwood species, applications, and benefits, as well as to encourage old and new...
read moreNewsNote – April 10
AWC Issues Addendums for New Design Values In advance of the June 1 implementation date of new design values for visually graded Southern Pine, the American Wood Council (AWC) has developed an addendum to its Design Values for Wood Construction, the Supplement to the National Design Specification for Wood Construction® (NDS®). New design values apply only to visually graded Southern Pine and Mixed Southern Pine sized 2″ to 4″ wide and 2″ to 4″ thick (2x2s through 4x4s) in No.2 and lower grades (No.2, No.3, Stud, Construction, Standard, and Utility), plus No.2 Dense and No.2 NonDense Southern Pine. AWC’s addendum to the NDS Supplement lists the new design values to use with the 2012 NDS, 2005 NDS, and the 2001 NDS. Click here to download. AWC has also developed an addendum to its Design Values for Joists and Rafters that includes the new design values for these sizes and grades of Southern Pine and Mixed Southern Pine; click here to...
read moreNewsNote – March 21
SP Exports Kick Start 2012 At nearly double the amount shipped in January 2010 and 14 percent above January of last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service recently reported Southern Pine exports to be approximately 30 million board feet for January 2012. Half of January shipments were dressed lumber, 28 percent rough and 22 percent treated. Top destinations included Dominican Republic, Mexico and China. Softwood lumber imports to the U.S. in January were approximately 670 million board feet, three percent below January of last year. Canada shipped nearly 640 million board feet to the U.S. during January. SFPA members can find detailed reports in the Members-Only sections at www.sfpa.org. For questions, contact Russell Richardson, director of treated markets, at 504/443-4463, ext. 239, or by e-mail at rrichardson@sfpa.org. New Features for Members’ Online Account Manager SFPA’s online Product Locator continues to be a popular feature...
read moreNewsletter – March 15
ALSC Approves New Design Values for SP Dense and NonDense As a follow up to its approval of new design values for visually graded No.2 and lower grades of 2×4 Southern Pine lumber in January, the American Lumber Standard Committee (ALSC) Board of Review has approved new design values for No.2 2×4 Dense and NonDense grades, with an effective date of June 1, 2012. This size category includes material that is 2 to 4 inches thick and 2 to 4 inches wide. In announcing its decision March 9, ALSC stated: “After consideration of all the information available to it, the Board approved the No.2 Dense 2 to 4 inches thick and 2 to 4 inches wide and No.2 Non-Dense 2 to 4 inches thick and 2 to 4 inches wide southern pine design values as submitted by SPIB on February 10, 2012 with a recommended effective date of June 1, 2012.” “The new design values for No.2 Dense and No.2 NonDense apply only to Southern Pine lumber,” says Cathy Kaake, SFPA’s senior director of engineered and...
read moreNewsNOTE – March 1
2011: SP Shipments up 9% For the third consecutive year, annual shipments of Southern Pine lumber have increased, totaling 13.434 billion board feet in 2011. That volume represents a 9% increase over the 12.25 Bbf shipped in 2010, and 14% above the 2009 volume (11.79 Bbf). Reports of shipments are compiled using data provided by the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau and Timber Products Inspection. SFPA members can find additional historical data related to Sothern Pine shipments within the Members Only section of www.sfpa.org. PWF Videos Now on YouTube Promoting the Permanent Wood Foundation (PWF) system back in the mid-1980s was a focus of wood industry associations. SFPA and allied partners produced two video programs to explain the construction process and advantages of this unique foundation technique. More than 25 years later, the two tapes have been converted to a digital format and posted on SFPA’s YouTube channel. In less than three weeks, more than 150 views of these programs...
read moreNewsNOTE – February 8
IndiaWood Show Preview One of the largest delegations representing U.S. wood products travels this week to IndiaWood, to be held February 10-14 in Bangalore. Every two years since 2002, this event showcases the nation’s burgeoning woodworking and wood products industry. India’s appetite for wood raw material continues to grow as its furniture industry booms. About 20 agents on behalf of SFPA and the Softwood Export Council are joining forces to promote lumber products under the American Softwoods banner. Richard Kleiner, SFPA’s director of international market development, will be joined by Frank Stewart, manager of technical support for the Western Wood Products Association, in making softwood lumber presentations to more than 200 importers and wood users already registered for the seminar. “Product requests from India through SouthernPineGlobal.com have become more frequent in the past year,” said Kleiner. “The timing is right for promotion and education,” he...
read moreNewsNOTE – January 31
More Answers to Questions about New Design Values The recent approval of the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau’s (SPIB) new design values for visually graded Southern Pine lumber by the American Lumber Standard Committee (ALSC) Board of Review has generated more questions among producers and customer groups. SFPA facilitated a task group of industry leaders representing key customer groups to develop answers to the most commonly asked questions regarding new design values and their implementation. Click here to review this new collection of questions and answers, now available at www.southernpine.com. SPIB issued Supplement No.9 to the 2002 Standard Grading Rules for Southern Pine Lumber providing new design values effective June 1, 2012. The only design values that will change on June 1 apply to visually graded Southern Pine and Mixed Southern Pine sized 2” to 4” wide and 2” to 4” thick (2x2s through 4x4s) in No.2 and lower grades (No.2, No.3, Stud, Construction, Standard...
read moreNews Release: Design Value Transition
Transition to New Design Values Effective June 1, 2012 The Southern Pine Inspection Bureau (SPIB) has issued Supplement No.9 to the 2002 Standard Grading Rules for Southern Pine Lumber providing new design values effective June 1, 2012. The only design values that will change on June 1 apply to visually graded Southern Pine and Mixed Southern Pine sized 2” to 4” wide and 2” to 4” thick (2x2s through 4x4s) in No.2 and lower grades (No.2, No.3, Stud, Construction, Standard and Utility). SPIB is in the process of submitting new design values for No.2 Dense and No.2 NonDense to the Board of Review of the American Lumber Standard Committee for approval. The new design values for No.2 Dense and No.2 NonDense will also become effective June 1, 2012. Design values for all other grades and sizes of visually graded Southern Pine remain the same, pending results of testing scheduled for completion later in 2012. “The effective date of June 1 allows for an orderly transition to the...
read more
