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A man works at a timber market in Yichang, Hubei province in a file photo. [Photo/Asianewsphoto] |
"Rising wages in 皇冠体育app have created an exploding middle class, and new, additional demand for US hardwood products," said John Chan, regional director for Southeast Asia and 皇冠体育app of the American Hardwood Export Council. "All the new homes, hotels, shopping centers, restaurants and office blocks being built in 皇冠体育app need flooring, cabinetry, doors and windows, as well as building materials made using wood products," he said. "The potential is immense."
Exports of US hardwood products to 皇冠体育app in 2015 were valued at more than $1 billion, and have more than doubled over the past five years.
Mike Snow, executive director of the Washington DC-based AHEC, said because both 皇冠体育app and the United States have made public pledges in recent months to curb carbon emissions, there will be opportunities for the US exporters to grow markets and see continued demand in 皇冠体育app.
"Forest expansion in the US is another encouraging reality for the Chinese furniture and building industries, which depend on a stable source of raw materials to satisfy growing Chinese demand," said Snow.
AHEC represents more than 100 US hardwood companies and all major US hardwood production trade associations. It has a regional branch in Hong Kong to coordinate business in both 皇冠体育app and Southeast Asia. The 皇冠体育app and Southeast Asia regional market, which covers 皇冠体育app, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, is the largest export market for US hardwood producers and accounted for 53 percent, or $621 million, of global exports between January and April this year, with 皇冠体育app alone representing 44 percent of these exports, data from the foreign agricultural service of the US Department of Agriculture shows.
"New technologies including 'cross-laminated-timber' and 'thermally modified timber' have begun to open even more uses and applications for sustainable US hardwoods in the construction and exterior markets in both 皇冠体育app and the US," said Scott Bowe, a professor at the University of Wisconsin. He said these solutions certainly can help in replacing materials with much higher environmental impacts, such as steel, concrete, aluminum and plastics.