| A GUIDE TO EXPORTING SOLID WOOD PRODUCTS |
USDA MARKET DEVELOPMENT COOPERATORS
The activities of the principal associations participating in the Cooperator Program for solid wood products are summarized below:
American Forest & Paper Association
AF&PA's promotional philosophy is, as the umbrella organization for the wood products industry, it has the responsibility of undertaking general overseas promotion for all wood products. Once a presence for U.S. wood products has been established, the thrust of further market development is turned over to U.S. regional product associations. Individual companies and associations are encouraged to follow up on AF&PA's ground-breaking activities to try to establish overseas contacts and customers.
AF&PA conducts activities on issues that impact a large number of industry sectors and interests. Such issues include technical barriers to trade such as building codes and standards, fire and structural standards, systems design and application, test and certification standards, phytosanitary issues, and so on. This includes activities in Japan, the EU, Korea, Southeast Asia, and Mexico. AF&PA also works in markets that are new to the U.S. wood products industry and are not yet developed to the point where product-specific promotion is warranted, except on a niche by niche basis. AF&PA has overseas offices in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Mexico.
AF&PA's primary goal is to create market access for a wide range of value-added forest products by working in concert with or on behalf of other U.S. wood products associations on issues that affect a broad segment of the industry, or in new markets where regional and product specific marketing is not yet required. AF&PA works to enhance and support all other industry strategies, and works as a coordinating and liaison agent for these programs with FAS.
For further information contact AF&PA, 1111 19th Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036, Tel. (202) 463-2700, Fax. (202) 463-2785, or visit their web-site at: http://www.afandpa.org
American Hardwood Export Council
The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) was created to service the global demand for American hardwood products. AHEC, an umbrella association comprised of the major U.S. hardwood product associations and hardwood exporting companies, maintains offices in Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan, and Mexico. These offices provide technical literature and support to the U.S. hardwood industry overseas. Services by AHEC in support of exporting include:
For further information contact AHEC, 1111 19th Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036, Tel. (202) 463-2720, Fax (202) 463-2787, http://www.ahec.org/
APA - The Engineered Wood Association
APA - The Engineered Wood Association, founded in 1933, represents engineered wood producers who manufacture approximately 80 percent of the structural panels (softwood plywood, oriented strand board) made in the United States. The Association also represents 65 percent by volume of the glued-laminated timber manufactured in the United States. APA - The Engineered Wood Association represents 50 member companies located throughout the United States and provides a variety of services for its members. The objectives of these services are to:
For further information contact APA - The Engineered Wood Association, Box 11700, Tacoma, WA 98411-0700, Tel. (206) 565-6600, Fax (206) 565-7265, http://www.apawood.org/
The Southern Pine Council (SPC) is the promotional body for the Southern Pine lumber industry, jointly coordinated and supported by members of the Southern Forest Products Association and the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association. SPC carries out a broad array of promotional and technical programs on choosing and applying Southern Pine lumber throughout the United States and over 20 countries worldwide. It provides its members with export assistance as well as market research, trade leads, and foreign language literature. For more information, contact the Southern Pine Council (SPC), P.O. Box 641700, Kenner, LA 70064-1700, Tel. (504) 443-4464, Fax. (504) 443-6612, www.southernpine.com
The SEC is a trade council of U.S. softwood grading agencies, industry trade associations, state export promotional development agencies, and others interested in promotion U.S. softwood internationally. The SEC coordinates overseas market development activities for the U.S. softwood industry with the Foreign Agricultural Service, and aids American exports of softwood products by providing information and assistance to agents, importers, designers, and users of these products in other countries. Through trade association and grading agency members, SEC represents softwood exporters of lumber, veneer, mouldings and millwork, and component products.
The SEC aids American exports of softwood products by providing:
1. Information assistance to agents, importers, designers, an users of softwood products in other countries
2. Market information and trade leads to U.S. softwood product producers
3. Market research on emerging softwood products markets
4. Trade missions and other forums for international market education
5. Coordination of Foreign Market Development and market Access Promotion strategic plans and funding requests with the U.S. Foreign Agricultural Service
6. Coordination of overseas market development activities for the U.S. western softwood industry
For further information contact WWPA, 522 SW 5th Avenue, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97204-2122, Tel. (503) 224-3930, Fax. (503) 224-3934, www.softwood.org
For a listing of the U.S. Wood Products Industry and FAS Contacts, please refer to Appendix X.
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