Record shipments of American Hardwoods are arriving at Australian Ports every week with new data from the US Department of Agriculture revealing that imports are up more than 65% to 22,753 cubic metres for the first eight months.
Wood Central understands the increase is fuelled by a 167% surge in demand for Red oak – used in mouldings, flooring, furniture, doors, cabinets and coffins – and, importantly, a substitute for Victorian Ash, locked up after the Victorian Government elected to exit native forestry.
That includes Australian Sustainable Hardwoods, the country’s largest hardwood manufacturer. Australian Sustainable Hardwoods, or ASH, now imports more than 30 containers of Red oak every month and sells it as glacial oak.
According to Daniel Wright, National Business Development Director, ASH considered importing American hardwood, a suitable, quality blond-coloured wood, for the local market as early as 2018: “But with future supply in question and likely price fluctuations, we soon realised that we could get the performance and consistency we required from a targeted range of red oaks.”
“By manufacturing and laminating them into components that Australian users value, we have grown the volumes in Australia exponentially, but there is plenty still to do. There are a number of markets in Australia that have turned to cheaper products from other countries as a means of supply, but we have great stock holdings for when they are ready and realise the need for a more reliable or compliant product.”
Readily available, Red oak is the most abundant species across 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,” Mr Wiles said. With “demand continuing to be strong from importers, manufacturers, designers, and architects, who have an increasingly sophisticated understanding of different species.”
Red oak grows throughout the eastern United States in mixed hardwood forests. Many sub-species under the red oak classification grow from North to South. Some are in mountainous regions and others in lowlands; this, in addition to latitude, gives rise to different characteristics. They are highly sustainable, too—all timbers imported by ASH are fully certified under the SFI and PEFC standards, meaning they can be used in 5-star and 6-star projects Australia-wide.
Like all American hardwoods, they are growing more rapidly than they are being harvested, with the net volume increasing by 28.7 million cubic metres each year after harvest: “With more than 170 species of red oak in North America, ASH targets specific growing regions with a consistent blond colour and high-performing timber,” Mr Wright said, adding that “specific is important (to ASH). There is variation in colour and performance of red oak in various growing regions.”
“By maintaining a large stock at ASH and processing this through our scanning dry mills, we manufacture upwards of 3,000 different product items under the brand name Glacial Oak. This allows us and our supply chain to have the confidence that we will always have the consistent colour, quality and volume required by the market.”
Glacial Oak: Higher-Density Timbers for Bushfire-Proof Windows
Last year, Mr Wright revealed to Wood Central that ASH’s decision to opt for Red oak over lower-density alternatives could save lives. “ASH ruled out several imported options (that were not American oak) due to concerns with BAL 12.5 and BAL 19 conformance,” he said.
“We needed a timber that all our customers could get behind, and that’s why we opted for Glacial Oak (otherwise known as American Oak), which meets BAL−12.5 and BAL−19.”
- To learn more about BAL ratings and the importance of higher-density timbers to protect Australian houses against the threat of bushfires, click here for Wood Central’s exclusive interview.