Southern yellow pine exports from the US in 2015 posted a record volume of just over £260m, a jump of 7% above the 2014 export total. That means they’ve doubled in just five years.

The top three export destinations for Southern Yellow Pine were unchanged from the previous year, although saw varying movements in their volumes: Mexico was up 2% at £114m and the Dominican Republic 17% ahead at £34m, but China’s demand contracted 26% to £97m.

Sales to the European Union totalled £23.6m, marginally down on 2014, with Italy the largest market with sales of £6.7m, and almost all its southern yellow pine used for coffin making. The UK is in second place with sales of £3.7m, plus sales of treated timber for decking of £1m in 2015, followed by Spain where sales have rebounded after years of decline. The Middle East and North Africa remain key destinations for American softwoods, with increasing demand from the region’s booming construction and housing markets. Exports to the region did fall from £21m in 2014 to £12.3m in 2015. But this reduction can be explained by two factors; a stronger dollar and political instability in the region, particularly in the significant Egyptian market. The predominant species in the area is southern yellow pine, which accounts for almost 80% of sales throughout. And despite the dip and its trade, the leading market remains Egypt, where sales have held up relatively well considering the restrictions on the availability of foreign exchange. Next biggest buyer is the United Arab Emirates. Despite the widely reported political issues in the country, Pakistan has established itself as another major US softwood market with sales of £21m. Sales of southern yellow pine logs to India totalled £7.9m in 2015, which was significantly lower than the 2014 figure of almost £20m, while sales of US softwood lumber amounted to almost £8m, with southern yellow pine the leading species.

Owing to the large number of small sawmills in many of its towns, there is also a potentially vast appetite for logs in India, and this has been strengthened by the ban on log sales from Myanmar, which came into force in 2014. Combine that with its growing and aspirational middle class and India has great possibilities as a softwood consumer. However education will be needed to overcome the tendency among Indian timber buyers to seek out the least expensive and lowest grades available. To this end, the Virginia Department of Agriculture is organising a buyers’ mission to the US this summer. As well as visits to softwood and hardwood mills, the mission members will also visit the International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta. An Emerging Markets Programme study of Pakistan and India during 2016 will also identify new markets and opportunities to increase US softwood sales.

SYP builds for The future

Meanwhile, latest design values in the US have confirmed that southern yellow pine remains comparable to other American softwood species in structural applications, and its density remains unmatched, providing superior fastener-holding ability.

Beyond residential construction, southern yellow pine timber is increasingly being used in schools, churches, office buildings and retail stores. In addition, beyond the perimeter of large cities, post-frame construction techniques are popular for agricultural structures, calling for both treated lumber and large dimension southern yellow pine timber to build barns, stables and equipment storage facilities.

The southern yellow pine industry is also an increasingly proactive marketeer. It connects widely with the building trades at key US trade fairs, where its appearances are sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture’s Softwood Lumber Board (SLB), an industry-backed programme promoting softwood products reaching builders, remodelers, architects and engineers.

Qualifying manufacturers pay a levy based on the volume of softwood timber they produce and the funds are used to support SLB’s programmes to influence users of softwood products, under the banner of its Wood, Naturally residential campaign. Technical audiences and specifiers also learn about the merits of building with renewable, sustainable softwood materials with exhibits at shows targeting architects and engineers via the SLB’s reThink Wood non residential programme. The campaign’s initial five-year term is up for renewal this summer and it is hoped it will be continued.

Technical Treatment change

Recent changes to treated Southern Yellow Pine timber standards in the US may now positively impact the thinking of EU regulators when it comes to preservative retention levels required in materials commonly used for building outdoor decks. A new standard from the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA), effective this summer, expands the definition of ground contact exposure for treated wood. It establishes guidelines under the Use Category 4A, stating that wood treated to ground contact is to be specified for:

• ground-level decks and walkways, where the treated wood is installed less than 6in above ground

• applications where adequate air circulation around the structure or water drainage beneath is not available

• places where vegetation and other debris can build up and remain in contact with the treated wood

• structural components (deck beams, joists, ledgers) considered difficult to maintain, repair or replace

And US softwood treated for use above ground still has a place in outdoor construction; it’s an economical material suitable for properly installed surface decking, railings and spindles, among other applications. But it’s important for both specifiers and customers alike to understand the varied conditions that make treated lumber susceptible to decay and insect attack. The AWPA says its new standard and guidelines will help assure the long-term performance reputation of treated southern pine products when properly applied. Many US dealers currently stock both above ground and ground contact-treated lumber. Moving forward, some report they will stock only the latter, citing the ease of stocking only one retention level. Ultimately, dealers will need to use their understanding of their own market to determine what kinds of treated wood remain on their yards, and it’s felt this market trend could eventually drift offshore, inspiring EU regulators to consider similar moves.

Moving indoors

Interior decorators and designers worldwide have discovered the appeal of using US softwood indoors and southern yellow pine’s distinctive grain and excellent finishing properties make it a material of choice for flooring, panelling and ceilings. Accents such as wainscoting added to bathrooms and kitchens are also being incorporated to add texture and warmth to a space.

Exports of these high-grade southern yellow pine materials to the EU for this sort of application have remained stable in recent years, servicing markets in the manufacture of doors and windows, plus some furniture. Several mills in fact specialise in providing metric sizes for EU importers.

US softwoods also boast an enviable environmental track record. The forests of the southern US remain some of the most productive in the world and among the best managed. The region is known to plant more than one million trees each year, assuring the world bountiful supplies of this renewable building material. With EU importers increasingly requiring certified southern yellow pine shipments, manufacturers are also responding by procuring wood from certified forests.