The Australian timber supply chain is preparing for life after native hardwoods, with manufacturers now importing boatloads of 40-foot containers of American bhardwoods to keep up with record demand.
In January, Wood Central reported that Australian Sustainable Hardwoods, the country’s largest hardwood manufacturer, was now importing thirty or more American oak containers (marketed as glacial oak) every month.
Now, Wood Central can reveal that the hardwood lumber exports from the United States to Australia rose 22% for the year to February, fueled by American White Oak and its lesser-known cousin, American Red Oak.
Yesterday, Wood Central spoke to the American Hardwood Export Council – the peak body for US hardwoods responsible for a global campaign to export lumber into 50 international markets – who confirmed that in line with data just released by the US Department of Agriculture, Australia imported nearly 9,000 cubic metres of Red Oak last year alone.
Readily available, Red Oak is the most abundant species in American hardwood forests, and whilst it has similar characteristics to White Oak, “its more open grain means it is more suitable for staining, making it a versatile choice,” according to a spokesperson from the American Hardwood Export Council.
According to Rod Wiles, Regional Director for the American Hardwood Export Council, the council has “had a significant amount of interest in red oak from savvy specifiers in Australia,” who “recognise its quality and value and have anticipated the shift in demand resulting from the changes in native logging that came into force in January 2024.”
“Australia and New Zealand are important markets for American Hardwood Exporters,” according to Mr Wiles. Before adding, “demand continues to be strong from importers, manufacturers, designers, and architects, who have an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the different species.”
Beyond Red and White Oaks, the US is also exporting a growing amount of American cherry and American maple, which have both grown exponentially by 650% and 110%, respectively.
The pivot to the US comes as the local industry grapples with the ban on Victorian and West Australian native forest harvesting – enforceable from January 1st, with Wood Central reporting that Australian Sustainable Hardwoods, once reliant on harvested Victorian species to produce 520 cubic metres of timber a day, has spent years more than five years working with US-based hardwood exporters to make up the shortfall.
“We are using it (Glacial Oak),” according to Vince Hurley, Managing Director of Australian Sustainable Hardwoods, “to supply the market we have developed and as a replacement for some of our Vic Ash as well.”
“It has been perfect in that space – staircases, windows, doors and furniture. We also have a new engineered flooring line; we will have an engineered floor made of it.”
- For more information showing how Australian timber manufacturers are rising to meet hardwood demand in the face of the close of native forest harvesting in Victoria and West Australia, please refer to Wood Central’s special feature.
