Changes Coming to the Lumber Industry | Event Recap

At Export Portal, we know how important it is to stay informed about the international trade world’s latest goings-on. Whatever your industry is, things are constantly changing, and we want to help you keep up-to-date.

We stay true to our mission of supporting SMEs in every aspect of global trade by attending events that are pertinent to the different industries our users are in. That’s why we attended the International Mass Timber Conference at the end of March – we’ve gathered some of the most relevant information from their talks and are ready to share them with you!

One of the sessions most important to our industry focused on how the global supply chain and how import/export is working in the lumber industry. Ernst Woels and Paul Kremer, two leaders in this industry, discussed this topic with Rose Braden, the session moderator. They covered the factors that have led to the expansion of mass timber and how suppliers and designers gained market share from concrete and steel construction. Some of those factors include the speed to the market (meaning how quickly timber can be produced) and the lower labor requirements for timber projects. 

Based on their experience in manufacturing and project development, the speakers also talked about how organizations may balance mass timber manufacturing levels with project demand. For example, by 2034, North American buildings could consume 576 million cubic feet of mass timber panels annually. This means manufacturers would need to boost their current capacities by 40% to meet those demands. 

The main takeaway from this event was that mass timber is majorly in demand. There was some discussion of the wonderfully modern and exciting world records that are being broken with wooden and hybrid structures, but that is just one piece of the lumber industry. Wood, CLT (cross laminated timber) specifically, can be used as reliably as other materials for infrastructure, and companies worldwide are proving it. Overall, the advice for importers and exporters here is to keep up with the modern advances in this industry, as well as to know your supply chain and make sure that you understand what is going on with your product every step of the way.

Export Portal is dedicated to transparency and helping our users find what they need for a successful international trade transaction. With informative talks like this, we can better support you and your trading endeavors. Subscribe to our newsletter today to make sure you get the latest updates!