UAE imports of US hardwood products are projected to grow to $25 million in 2008, according to a recent study by the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the leading international trade association for the US hardwood industry. Further, the organization has revealed that this growth will be mainly driven by lumber imports, expected to account for 60 per cent ($15 million) of the entire US hardwood shipments to the country. The announcement follows the successful participation by AHEC at the Dubai Woodshow 2008, which was held earlier in February. Mike Snow, executive director of AHEC, said “we are expecting to see further expansion of US hardwood business in the region.” According to previously published reports by United States Census Bureau, US hardwood exports to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region grew by 32.3 percent to top $52.2 million during the first 10 months of 2007, and AHEC is confident of a similar growth in 2008. A breakdown of the exports revealed a tremendous increase across all product lines including the shipment of 5,101 cu. meters of hardwood logs, a staggering 185 per cent rise leading to total exports of $3.9 million; the delivery of 13,274 cubic meters of hardwood lumber, reflecting a 69 percent jump to $10.6 million; and the shipment of $2.2 million worth of regional hardwood veneer imports, an increase of 24.2 percent. Of the total value of regional imports within this period, the UAE has shelled out $13.2 million toward hardwood products to address the growing demand of its booming real estate sector, a 59 percent increase from 2006. “The enormous demand for US hardwood products in the UAE, as evident in the ever-growing import figures such as that of lumber, which has increased by 54.2 percent to reach $8.4 million according to the latest statistics, is a clear indication of the outstanding opportunity for our products in the regional market,” said David Venables, AHEC european director. “As US hardwood products become one of the most popular materials, which is being used across the UAE's highly ambitious real estate projects, we are taking necessary measures to ensure that we have enough supply to address the swelling demand in the region. The excellent reception for US hardwood at the recently concluded Dubai Woodshow has been enough motivation for us to continually offer high quality products and technologies to Middle Eastern importers and manufacturers.” AHEC hosted the American Hardwood Pavilion at Dubai Woodshow 2008, which witnessed the participation of 15 leading manufacturers, including Baillie Lumber, Sonoking Corporation, Nina Company, Bradford Forest, UCS Forest Group, Augusta Lumber, Weyerhaeuser Hardwoods, Interforest Lumber, Taylor Lumber, Pike Lumber, NHLA, Mayfield Lumber Company, Anderson Tully, Gilco Lumber and Matson Lumber Company. The pavilion also housed three state departments - Pennsylvania Hardwood Development Council, Indiana State Department of Agriculture and West Virginia Development Office, who conducted seminars to provide general information on products, species, and applications. Sixty-five delegates from the US, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, India and Pakistan graced the event, which was opened by David Williams, acting US consul general. AHEC represents US hardwood exporters and most of the major US hardwood product trade associations in the US. The organization seeks to further expand hardwood markets through its dedicated efforts to provide architects, specifiers, designers and end-users with technical information on the range of species, products and sources of supply. Globally, AHEC promotes the full range of US hardwood products and commercial species to over 50 export markets. __
