Softwood Export Council’s International Trade Promotion Activities Ramp Up For Fall
By Rose Braden,
President Softwood Export Council,
Portland, OR
www.softwood.org
As international demand for U.S. softwoods has shifted dramatically over the past decade, the Softwood Export Council (SEC) has maintained its presence in markets that historically preferred U.S. softwoods such as Japan and China, expanded its efforts in growing markets, and introduced new programs to promote U.S. softwood lumber and building materials in emerging markets.
SEC and its members increase the use of U.S. softwoods and maintain international market access by participating in more than 20 international codes and standards committees. SEC also supports product testing in the U.S. and abroad to facilitate the inclusion of softwood lumber and structural assemblies in international codes and standards. At the same time, SEC organizes trade missions, trade show presence, and conferences around the world. While its codes and standards work continues year-round, trade missions and shows are concentrated in the spring and fall.
In September, SEC and members from the American Lumber Standard Committee (ALSC), Western Wood Products Association (WWPA), and Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau (PLIB) participated in the 36th biennial Building Experts Committee meeting with Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, its Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and other government agencies to maintain market access for U.S. softwood lumber. The trilateral meetings—originally established between the United States and Japan and later expanded to include Canada—began in 1990 to harmonize standards and facilitate trade in wood products. The meetings give SEC, ALSC, and U.S. grading agencies an opportunity to present updates to U.S. lumber standards, reinforce quality control standards, and, most importantly, identify potential trade barriers.
With 95% of the world’s consumers outside the U.S., exporting helps companies diversify, lessening the impact U.S. market downturns. International markets also provide an outlet for grades and dimensions that are less preferred in the U.S. According to EXIM Bank, companies that export are 17% more profitable than those that don’t.
During the same month, SEC member, WoodPack Global, with support from SEC, held their fifth annual pallet and packaging conference in Mexico, which was attended by over 260 international buyers and a delegation of U.S. softwood lumber suppliers.
On the trade show front, two delegations of U.S. softwood suppliers participated in the Furniture Manufacturing China show and the Thai Woodworking Show in September. Although Thailand is a relatively new market for U.S. softwoods, opportunities are growing in millwork and in pallet and packaging production, and U.S. suppliers report selling high-grade lumber to Thai importers and manufacturers. SEC maximized its presence at the Thai Woodworking Show with a demonstration of member organization WoodPack Global’s virtual Pallet Design System, which allows users to compare the strength of U.S. softwoods with other species.
In November, SEC will lead its largest delegation to date on a mission to Vietnam. The event builds on a highly successful 2025 Vietnam mission that included meetings with importers and manufacturers and a conference attended by more than 140 contacts from the construction and millwork manufacturing sectors. This year’s mission will include a week of meetings with manufacturers and importers, along with networking events, to help U.S. suppliers both build business relationships and better understand market opportunities and product preferences.
Softwood exports to Vietnam are rising as demand in China remains weak, hampered by slowing economic growth and the relocation of Chinese furniture and millwork manufacturers to Vietnam and Mexico. Since 2017, when the U.S. placed the first of a series of tariffs on Chinese furniture and wood products, U.S. softwood lumber exports to China have fallen 90%, to $18 million in 2025. Meanwhile, exports to Vietnam rose 17%, to $9 million, with indications of continued growth. Opportunities for softwoods in Vietnam are greatest in the country’s fast-growing wood based construction and millwork manufacturing sectors. SEC is actively working with Vietnam’s government to include U.S. softwood species in its building codes.
SEC will close out the year with a booth at the Taiwan Construction and Building Materials Show in Taipei. Trade promotion activities for 2027 include inbound buyer missions from Pakistan and Vietnam, outbound missions to Mexico and Vietnam, and over ten international trade shows. For details, visit softwood.org or contact the association.
