Japan likely to boost log imports
Hakan Ekstrom, a principal of United States-based Wood Resources International in an article this week said reconstruction of up to 150,000 buildings in northern Japan in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on 11 March 11 will boost NZ log exports.
“As the domestic forest industry increases production later in 2011, imports of logs predominantly from the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Russia can be expected to increase to their highest levels in at least three years. But the reconstruction of infrastructure - towns, roads, railways and the power grid - in the impacted region northeast of Tokyo would be lengthy and difficult in the wake of the humanitarian disaster, he said.
“Initially, there have been requests from Japanese authorities and trading houses for pre-fabricated houses,” he said. “There have also been inquiries for glue-laminated products and other pre-cut wood products that more quickly can be used for re-building efforts, as opposed to need for basic commodities such as lumber and plywood”. “To start with, the Government has asked for 30,000 temporary houses within two months.