manufacturing. For insulating board and softwood plywood, 
the declines in residential construction are particularly im- 
portant in keeping consumption relatively flat through the 
projection period. 
In addition to the major markets discussed above, addi- 
tional volumes of timber products are used for a number of 
other purposes for which there are no historical data on 
consumption. Among these are upkeep and improvement of 
nonresidential structures, roof supports and other construc- 
tion in mines, over-the-counter sales for home woodwork 
projects, and made-on-the-job products such as advertising 
and display structures. 
Because of the lack of a statistical base for projecting these 
markets, it was assumed that use for these purposes would 
rise in line with projected demands in the other markets, ex- 
cept housing. New housing was excluded because its de- 
mand is so strongly influenced by population demographics. 
Lumber—Lumber consumption in all uses in 1984 was 50.8 
billion board feet (table 3.4, fig. 3.3). This was almost 
30 percent above average consumption in the 1950’s and 
1960’s, and only slightly below the all-time high, 52.9 
billion, reached in 1978. Estimated total demands for lum- 
ber rise throughout the projection period, reaching 62.4 bil- 
lion board feet in 2030. The most rapid increases occur by 
early in the next century, as the use of softwoods in con- 
struction and hardwoods in manufacturing and shipping con- 
tinue at relatively high levels. After 2010, declining hous- 
ing starts and the somewhat slower rates of increase in 
economic growth and income affect both hardwood and soft- 
Table 3.4—Lumber consumption, exports, imports, and production in the United States, specified years, 1952-84, with projections 
to 2030 
Consumption Exports Imports Production 
Per Soft- Hard- Soft- Hard- Soft- Hard- Soft- Hard- 
Year Total capita woods woods Total woods! woods Total woods! woods Total woods woods 
Billion 
board Board 
feet feet Billion board feet 
1952 39.4 250 31.9 ded 0.7 0.6 0.2 2.9 23 0.2 Shed 30.2 7.4 
1962 37.9 203 30.8 7.1 8 6 1 4.9 4.6 3 33.8 26.8 7.0 
1970 39.6 193 32.2 Le 1.2 1.1 A | 6.1 5.8 3 34.8 DH hes) 12 
1976 44.9 206 36.9 8.0 1.8 1.6 2 8.2 8.0 3 38.5 30.6 8.0 
1984 50.8 214 42.9 7.9 2.2 1.6 a) 13.6 13.3 3 39.3 31.2 8.1 
Projections 
Year — iT otaldemand Exports Imports Demand on U.S. mills 
1990 55.6 220 47.2 8.4 255 2.0 0.5 16.4 16.0 0.4 41.7 33.2 8.5 
2000 56.9 ~ 207 48.0 8.9 2.8 22 6 15.9 15.4 iS) 43.8 34.8 9.0 
2010 59.9 204 50.3 9.6 2.8 22 .6 15.6 15.0 6 47.1 3925 9.6 
2020 62.2 201 52.0 10.2 3.0 23 7 13.4 12.7 + 51.8 41.6 10.2 
2030 62.4 195 51.8 10.6 3.0 23 al 12:5 11.8 ah 52.9 42.3 10.6 
' Includes small volumes of mixed species (not classified as softwoods or hardwoods). 
Note: Data may not add to totals because of rounding. 
Sources: Production—Softwoods: 1952—76—U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. Lumber production and mill stocks. 
Curr. Ind. Reps. Ser. MA-24T. Annual. 1984—Western Wood Products Association. Production—Hardwoods: U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Forest Service estimates based on data developed by C.S. Binkley and P.A. Cardellichio, School of Forestry and Environ- 
mental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT. Imports and Exports: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. 
Imports—U.S. imports for consumption and general imports: TSUSA commodity by country of origin. FT 246. Annual. Exports—U.S. 
exports/schedule E, commodity by country. FT 410. Monthly. 
Projections: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 
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