U.S. wood market is focus of new report
Production dropped off markedly during Great Recession, has not fully returned
MADISON, Wis. -- The Lake States forest products industry fits into a much larger worldwide picture of log consumption and lumber production.
A new United Nations report shows that U.S. log production collapsed in the 2008-2009 economic downturn and has now grown in the following years. But as of 2020 it is still below the production high during The Great Recession, according to data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, which reports on worldwide wood production annually.
The U.S. role in the worldwide market is the focus of a report by forest economist Jack Lutz, of forestresearchgroup.com. His analysis of the U.N. FAO data shows the U.S. share of lumber production holding steady around 16-17% since The Great Recession.
The picture for wood panels is much less positive. the U.S. share of that market has shrunk steadily for 60 years (from a high of nearly 45% in 1961 to slightly below 10% in 2020).
You can read more the worldwide wood market (and subscribe to Lutz’s quarterly newsletter) here:
www.forestresearchgroup.com
