Alberta’s forest products shipments went up 25% from 2009 to 2010

Total shipments of lumber, panelboard, pulp and paper manufactured by Alberta Forest Products Association-member companies for 2010 were up substantially over the previous year. Shipments increased from approximately $1.9 billion to $2.3 billion.

The improvements were due to both stronger prices and increased volume. The pulp and paper sector was particularly strong, with shipments of approximately $1.3 billion.

“Generally, the trend is encouraging. Every quarter this year was better than the corresponding quarter for 2009. The industry is still not exactly where we would like it to be, but things are definitely headed in the right direction. We still need the American economy to recover to ensure long-term viability for the industry.”

~Brady Whittaker, AFPA President and CEO

Shipments dipped slightly from the 3rd quarter of 2010 to the 4th quarter, declining about $18 million or 3%. Whittaker attributed the decline to a softening of the pulp market. “I would like to see every quarter better than the last, but the reality is that is not always going to happen. The pulp market has been performing very strongly, but it backed off a bit in the 4th quarter. That has put our numbers down slightly for this quarter.”

The Alberta Forest Products Association is a private, non-profit industry organization, representing lumber, panelboard, pulp and paper, and secondary manufacturing wood products companies operating in Alberta. The renewable-resource-based forest products industry is Alberta’s third largest manufacturing sector and second largest manufacturing exporter. AFPA member companies are active participants in sustainability advancements that contribute economic, environmental and social benefits to Albertans.

Source: Alberta Forest Products Association