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 Coast Forest promotes the benefits of building with wood and living with wood because it is healthy not only for our homes, but for the environment as well. Wood is a well managed renewable resource, and Coast Forest is committed to telling the world about B.C.’s leading forest management practices, and the benefits and attributes of coastal forest products that are second to none. Maintaining and growing our market share overseas requires high impact, high visibility promotional programs that can be scaled to meet new market opportunities, and targeted to address the evolving needs and preferences of our global customers. Coast Forest’s lumber programs deliver technical, market access and promotional services that contribute to customer confidence. These important programs advance the technical and performance attributes of coastal lumber products, ensure the acceptance of coastal products with overseas regulatory agencies and promote coastal species as uniquely desirable on the basis of their strength, stability and value. Coast Forest partners with the federal and provincial governments to develop and deliver promotional and technical programs in Japan, China, Australia and the U.S. |
 The health of the coast forest sector and of coastal communities is directly tied to the Japanese wood products market. Aimed at growing market share in this important primary market, Coast Forest delivers practical, relevant promotional and technical activities. Enhancing market share in Japan requires a complex blend of technical, market access and promotional initiatives. For example, lumber strength properties – critical to the performance of wood housing in earthquakes – have to be tested, proven, accepted by Japanese regulatory agencies and included in official wood design standards before they can be effectively promoted to architects and builders. Coast Forest’s activities in Japan include promoting coastal Hemlock under the brand name Canada Tsuga to differentiate it from other types of Hemlock. Its strength, stiffness and nail-holding power are all important wood properties in a market concerned with structural performance during earthquakes. A variety of customer outreach activities are aimed at ensuring awareness and use of Canada Tsuga products, as well as promoting the market commitment and environmental responsibility of its industry partners.  With China’s housing starts equaling 10 million a year, this market offers considerable potential for coastal producers. However, increased lumber consumption attributable to wood-frame construction is in its infancy in China and there is much work and due diligence to be done in this emerging market. In an effort to build a wood culture in China, Coast Forest has conducted market research, defined key market segments, and developed promotional materials to effectively market coastal wood species to Chinese customers. The Association has also initiated a seminar program, and participated in several key wood fairs and trade shows. In January 2005 Coast Forest opened office space in the Dream Home China demonstration centre in Shanghai, in partnership with the provincial and federal governments and other B.C. industry associations. Constructed entirely of forest products from British Columbia, Dream Home China provides office, training and demonstration facilities, and a showcase wood building that displays B.C. products directly to Chinese customers. The Dream Home China project is aimed at shifting consumer demand from concrete and cement block construction towards wood-frame homes and wood finishing by promoting North American style housing and design. Over the long term, efforts to increase wood consumption in China will assist the B.C. industry by helping to mitigate global forest products oversupply, reducing the combined impact of low-cost Russian fibre and low-cost Chinese labour on B.C.’s traditional markets, such as the U.S. and Japan. While Coast Forest is monitoring the market access and codes and standards work that may be necessary to gain a share of a future wood-frame construction industry in China, its activities are more directly focused on nearer-term opportunities in forest products remanufacturing. These include: manufacture of flooring, cabinetry, furniture and other products, and opportunities in landscape architecture.  Coast Forest has initiated an Appearance Grade Program focused on developing new market opportunities in the United States. In its first year of operation, the Program worked with Forintek Canada to develop a solid foundation of customer and market research, identifying key market segments including moulding, millwork, doors and windows and cabinetry. Detailed analysis of each segment will define the scope and focus of a targeted marketing strategy for future implementation.  Coast Forest’s Technical Development Program conducts product development and research activities to demonstrate and provide scientific validation of lumber properties and their suitability to a variety of applications, and to enable the continued or enhanced use of B.C. coastal species in international markets. This important program provides the necessary information and data for overseas government officials to accept the properties of coastal species, and to incorporate those properties into official codes, standards and design requirements. With the support of the University of British Columbia, Coast Forest has helped the coastal industry transition toward producing kiln dried products, while recognizing that there will continue to be a market for green products in Japan. Coast Forest has developed a new, premium grade product to add to the coastal product mix in Japan, and has facilitated the scientific work necessary to demonstrate attributes that will allow the new grade to compete directly with European products. When the scientific work is complete, Coast Forest will facilitate the acceptance of the new grade within the Japanese regulatory agencies. The technical program has undertaken similar work related to connectors used in post and beam housing, and the nail-holding strength of Canada Tsuga wood, providing a family of products and services for the Japanese customer.  The Australian government has been increasing its diligence with respect to green lumber imports from Canada, the United States and New Zealand, creating a potentially serious trade barrier. Coast Forest’s technical program has addressed emerging plant health import restrictions related to pests and pathogens, and has made measurable progress. Along with Canadian Grading Agencies, the Canadian Forest Service and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Coast Forest developed a visual inspection program to reduce the rate of shipments containing pests of concern to the Australian government. This critical work undertaken by Coast Forest will have application in other markets around the world. |
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