Hardwood lumber from the United States is known throughout the word for its quality, beauty, and sustainability. However, did you know that Pennsylvania leads the nation in volume of hardwood growing stock and hardwood lumber exports? The forest products industry has a huge economic impact to the Commonwealth. Michael Snow, Executive Director of the American Hardwood Export Council, D. Wayne Bender, former Executive Director of the PA Hardwood Development Council, and Jonathan Geyer, Assistant Director of the PA Hardwoods Development Council offered a panel discussion about the US and PA hardwood industry, global hardwood markets, the carbon benefits of forest products and the history of PA’s forest at a virtual presentation for PSPA on November 4, 2021.

Pennsylvania or Penn’s Woods is the most forested state in the US producing top quality hardwoods exported around the world for centuries. PA’s forests sequester carbon, provide recreation and wildlife habitat. What makes PA forests unique? Why is wood the ‘greenest’ building material? Wayne Bender of the PA Forestry Association spoke about this and more during the presentation.  Click here to see the recording.

Forest products brings over $1 billion of export revenue to Pennsylvania every year, according to Jonathan Geyer, Assistant Director of the Hardwood Development Council of the PA Dept. of Agriculture. Geyer discussed the reasons behind recent high lumber prices, changes to the Port of Philadelphia that aid wood exports, foreign markets for PA hardwoods and more.

Demographic, ecologic, and economic factors resulted in China becoming the top importer of US hardwoods.  Michael Snow of the American Hardwood Export Council discussed past trends, the current situation and projections for the future hardwood export market.  Click here to see the recording.