Newsletter - International

Dr. Bob Smith from the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials at Virginia Tech recently co-authored a book titled International Marketing Practices for Small to Medium Sized Forest Products Firms. with Dr. Omar Espinoza and Ms. Anna Pitti from the University of Minnesota. The book was written to assist forest products companies entering international markets or to […]

A new report details several Chinese projects that display innovative uses for Southern Pine lumber. Featured SYP projects include timber bridges, the Luhu Resort Hotel, and the Shanghai Poly Grand Theatre. In 2019, 13 timber bridges in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province were renovated using imported SYP lumber supplied by SFPA Manufacturer Member, Interfor. The stressed laminated […]

Despite COVID-19 travel and gathering restrictions, education and promotional efforts continued in July with a lumber training webinar targeting lumber traders and construction professionals in Costa Rica. This webinar was SFPA’s third educational event to follow the webinar format, after a successful series of webinars in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic in June. Costa Rica […]

In late August, American Softwoods representative Fernanda Vale presented a webinar at Expo CAMACOL. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, CAMACOL exhibitors (like American Softwoods) were given the opportunity to virtually present educational or technical seminars that were streamed through both the Expo CAMACOL platform and YouTube. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Mrs. Vale presented a 45-minute […]

In late June, SFPA conducted a pair of successful virtual training seminars targeting lumber traders and construction professionals in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. The Dominican Republic and Jamaica are currently the two largest markets for Southern Pine lumber in the Caribbean. Although U.S. softwoods have long held a dominant share in these markets, their […]

American Softwoods conducted a series of trade services and seminars in Mexico in early March to educate importers, distributors, and design professionals regarding Southern Yellow Pine lumber, structural panels, and engineered wood products. Three cities were visited over the course of the trip: Mexico City, Veracruz, and Monterrey. Seminars were conducted in all three cities […]

In late February, Fernanda Vale, Director of the American Softwoods Mexico Office, attended the IMEXFOR meeting in Guadalajara, Mexico. To increase member participation, IMEXFOR took place at the same time as the Expo Mueble Internacional tradeshow winter edition, which was also located Guadalajara. Topics covered during the meeting included the effects of COVID-19 on the […]

Wood pellets have been listed in the latest Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) Denmark exporter guide report as one of the best high-value product prospects for exports to the country. Although Denmark is a small market compared to the rest of the European Union, it is the EU’s second-largest importer of […]

Beijing Forestry University and China Academy of Science have released a paper addressing the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the Chinese timber industry. Complete with analysis and detailed numbers, the paper outlines the impacts of the outbreak and discusses policy recommendations moving forward. Click here to download the full paper. Please note: this version […]

American Softwoods representatives report success at Indiawood 2020! In late February/ early March, American Softwoods representatives attended Indiawood in Bangalore, India to acquire more knowledge of the Indian market for softwood lumber and establish relationships with leading Indian lumber importers. The five-day show is a long-haul for exhibitors but proved productive. 162 written inquiries were […]