46 



TIMBER TRENDS EN THE UNITED STATES 



in 1962 amounted to 6.8 billion board feet (table 

 34). Projected demands for veneer and plywood 

 in 2000 would require about 18.3 billion board 

 feet of logs — some 2.7 times the level of con- 

 sumption in 1962. 



Softwood logs are expected to account for most 

 of the increase, with use rising from 4.9 billion 

 board feet in 1962 to 12.4 billion board feet in 

 2000. The volume of hardwood logs required to 

 meet projected demands for hardwood veneer and 

 plywood rises from 1.8 billion board feet in 1962 

 to 5.9 billion board feet in 2000. 



Imports Provided 46 Percent of 

 Hardwood Veneer and Plywood in 1962 



Imports of hardwood plywood and veneer (table 

 34) have become of substantial importance, in- 

 creasing from the equivalent of 13 percent of 

 hardwood veneer log requirements in 1952 to 46 

 percent in 1962. Hardwood plywood from Japan 

 and other foreign countries has accounted for most 

 of these imports, with smaller amounts from 

 Canada. Imports of hardwood logs have been 

 of some importance in the past but have declined 



to the point where log exports in 1962 exceeded 

 imports by a small margin. 



In the domestic hardwood plywood and veneer 

 industry the chief species utilized are gum, yellow 

 birch, oak, hard maple, yellow-poplar, cherry, 

 and walnut. Supplies of veener logs of these 

 choice species have been declining^ — explaining in 

 part the recent major rise in use of imported veneer 

 and plywood. Continued heavy dependence on 

 foreign sources of veneer logs has therefore been 

 assumed. 



Domestic softwood logs are the raw material 

 for practically all of the softwood plywood and 

 veneer consumed in the United States. Douglas-fir 

 is the major species used in the manufacture of 

 softwood plywood, making up 88 percent of the 

 total softwood veneer logs used in 1962. An 

 increasing variety of other softwoods are being 

 utilized, however, including western hemlock, 

 western pines, larch, true firs, redwood, cedar, 

 and southern pines. Although changes in plywood 

 tariffs might affect the outlook, it has been as- 

 sumed that softwood plywood markets in the 

 United States will continue to be supplied almost 

 entirely by the domestic industry. 



Table 34. — Consumption, net imports, and domestic production of plywood and veneer in terms of log 



requirements, 1935-2000 ■ 



[Million board feet, International ^{-inch log scale '] 





All species 



Softwoods 



Hardwoods 



Year 



Con- 

 sumption 



Net 

 imports ^ 



Pro- 

 duction 



Con- 

 sumption 



Net 

 imports ^ 



Pro- 

 duction 



Con- 

 sumption 



Net 

 imports ^ 



Pro- 

 duction 



1935 



1942 



1945 



1952 



1955 



1960 



1961 



1962 



986 

 2,084 

 1,650 

 3,082 



4,561 

 5,784 

 6,254 

 6,776 



(11) 



(27) 

 (21) 

 148 



513 

 640 

 670 

 860 



997 

 2,111 

 1,671 

 2,934 



4,048 

 5,144 

 5,584 

 5,916 



386 

 956 



618 

 1.851 



2,913 

 4,142 

 4.611 

 4,938 



3 (22) 



(37) 

 (7) 



(4) 

 6 

 8 

 6 



408 



956 



655 



1,858 



2,917 

 4,136 

 4,603 

 4,932 



600 

 1,128 

 1.032 

 1.231 



1,648 

 1,642 

 1,643 

 1,838 



11 

 (27) 



16 

 155 



517 

 634 

 662 

 854 



589 



1,155 

 1,016 

 1,076 



1,131 



1,008 



981 



984 



PROJECTIONS 



1970. 

 1980_ 

 1990- 

 2000_ 



10,300 

 12,500 

 15,300 

 18,300 



1,300 

 1,900 

 2,600 

 3,400 



9, 000 

 10.600 

 12,700 

 14,900 



7,600 



8,900 



10,500 



12,400 



7,600 



8,900 



10.500 



12,400 



2,700 

 3,600 

 4.800 

 5,900 



1,300 

 1,900 

 2.600 

 3,400 



1,400 

 1,700 

 2.200 

 2.500 



' Converted from local log rule basis by factor of 

 approximately 1.20 for softwoods and 1.25 for hardwoods. 



^ Includes net imports of plywood and veneer; net 

 imports of hardwoods also include logs. Figures in 

 parentheses are net exports. 



' Includes mixed plywoods not specified by species. 



Sources: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 

 Service, and U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of 

 the Census. 



