The Dismantling of the American Timber Industry: American Loggers Council Warns of Consequences
WASHINGTON, March 25, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- It seems like every time a forest product mill or plant shuts down (monthly if not weekly) it's viewed as a singular isolated incident. But viewed collectively, the cumulative impacts and magnitude become more focused and apparent. The individual incidents are all symptoms of a larger serious condition that diagnosed properly reveals and represents an unhealthy state of the U.S. timber and forest products industries.
- Many contributing factors leading to the decline of the U.S. timber and forest products industries are government policy, regulations, restrictions, unfair trade practices, federal timber supply constraints, and incessant litigation.
- While there has been some new mill construction and expansion, this cannot be assumed to be an equal offset.
- According to the World Bank, the U.S. imports over $40 billion in wood products from Canada, China and Brazil.
- Note: Prolonged mill quotas (timber delivery supply limits and restrictions) have been imposed by some southeastern mills reducing volume to levels unable sustain cashflow/debt service for loggers.