US timber exports to the Philippines are set to jump by 30% this year, climbing to US$28 million as the country struggles to source enough construction‑grade wood, according to new data from the US Department of Agriculture.
The Philippines — long a net importer of logs and lumber — is increasingly leaning on foreign suppliers as local forests shrink and major construction projects accelerate. In its latest assessment, the USDA said the country “remains a net importer of logs and lumber to meet growing domestic demand driven by construction, furniture manufacturing, and infrastructure development,” highlighting the widening gap between supply and demand.
Softwood lumber, the backbone of the Philippines’ construction and furniture industries, now accounts for more than half of all US shipments. Wood Central understands demand is being fuelled by a wave of high‑end condominium and hotel developments across Metro Manila, catering to affluent retirees and expatriates, alongside a pipeline of public infrastructure projects that increasingly incorporate sustainable timber — including new airport terminals.
And despite having 30 million hectares of forest land, the Philippines now has only seven million hectares of dense forest cover, the result of decades of deforestation and land degradation. The shortfall has pushed developers and manufacturers to rely more heavily on imports, with the United States emerging as a key supplier of pine, oak, veneer sheets, cooperage products, and pallets.
Last year, the US ranked as the Philippines’ seventh‑largest timber exporter, and the USDA expects further growth in hardwood and glue‑laminated timber shipments as the country’s construction and premium housing markets continue to expand. The agency also notes rising interest in engineered wood, though adoption remains constrained by limited product familiarity and higher freight costs compared with ASEAN suppliers.
Even so, the USDA describes the Philippines as a market with “significant untapped potential” for US wood products — a market where rising demand, shrinking forests, and a booming construction sector are reshaping the country’s reliance on imported timber.
