THE OUTLOOK FOR EXTENDING AMERICAN LUMBER 



TRADE IN ITALY 



By Raphael Zon 



There appeared recently several conflicting reports as to the lumber 

 situation in Italy and the opportunities for large timber exports there 

 from the United States. For this reason an official report on the 

 possible sources of Italian imports, prepared by the National Royal 

 Institute of Italy in 1919 should be of interest to American foresters 

 and the lumber trade.^ 



Italy before the war consumed annually 3,600,000 cu. m. fin the log) 

 (900.000.000 board feet) of softwoods, and about 1,600,000 cu. m. 

 (400,000.000 board feet) of hardwoods, or in all, 5,200,000 cu. m. 

 (1,300.000,000 board feet) of sawlog timber. Of this 3,800,000 cu. m. 

 (950,000,000 board feet) were imported from other countries, while 

 home production did not exceed 1,400,000 cu. m. (350,000,000 board 

 feet), or a trifle more than one-fourth of the entire country's require- 

 ments. This dependence of Italy upon timber importations becomes 

 even more striking if we consider the requirements for softwoods 

 only. While the annual consumption of softwood timber is 3,600,000 

 cu. m. (900,000,000 board feet), the home production of softwoods 

 is not more than 400,000 cu. m. (in the log) (100,000,000 board feet), 

 or scarcely one-ninth of the total requirements. In other words, 

 3,200,000 cu. m. (800,000,000 board feet) were, under normal condi- 

 tions, imported from abroad. Of this 2,800,000 cu. m. (700,000.000 

 board feet) of timber imported annually before the war was of soft- 

 wood lumber, and about 400,000 cu. m. of pulpwood. 



The situation was better with regard to hardwoods, as the home 

 supplies of hardwoods are much more plentiful. Thus of a total 

 annual consumption of L600,000 cu. m. (400,000,000 board feet) of 

 hardwoods, only 600,000 cu. m. (150,000,000 board feet), were im- 

 ported from abroad and L000,000 cu. m. (250.000.000 board feet) 

 were produced within the country. A total home production of even 



* Per L'approvviKionamento del Legname nel dopo Guerra, Prof. A. Ser- 

 pieri, R. Institute Sui>eriore Forestale Nazionale. Firenze, 1919. (Providing 

 for timber after the war). Translated by Winifred Wlialcy. 



