METAIRIE, La. — Shipments of Southern Pine lumber recorded an increase from the previous year in 2022 for the 13th consecutive year, according to the Southern Forest Products Association, which tabulates shipment totals with the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau (SPIB) and Timber Products Inspection (TP).
The 2022 total also marked the third straight year of shipments above the 20 billion board feet (Bbf) mark, starting with 20.8 Bbf in 2020.
Shipments in 2022 totaled 22.16 (Bbf), a 5.5% increase over the volume shipped in 2021 (20.93 Bbf). They have been on an increase since 2009, when shipments totaled 11.79 Bbf, down from 14.57 Bbf in 2008.
“The SFPA, in conjunction with our members, especially our lumber manufacturing members, and the SPIB and TP, couldn’t be more excited to see this record growth,” said SFPA Executive Director Eric Gee. “If there’s any question about the demand for Southern Pine, the 2022 shipment report confirms its popularity among design and construction professionals. It also supports the message that, as a naturally renewable resource, wood is the most environmentally friendly, easily accessible, and among the most trusted materials available for building homes or businesses.”
The 2022 record is the longest consecutive growth in shipments since recordkeeping began in 1915. The next closest stretch of consecutive growth was a five-year span from 1974 (6.92 Bbf) to 1979 (9.28 Bbf) followed by three four-year spans:
1980 (8.22 Bbf) to 1984 (10.65 Bbf)
1991 (12.5 Bbf) to 1994 (15.01 Bbf)
2001 (16.1 Bbf) to 2006 (18.5 Bbf)
