usedto DoitBestQpry odrrsold

Serving 13 Southern states

PUBLISHER David Cutler (dcutler@ioc.net)

SENIOR EDITOR David Koenig (dkoenig @ ioc.net)

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Dave DetVal (ddelval@ioc.net)

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Dwight Cunan, Gage McKinney, Ead Moore

AD SALES MANAGER Chuck Casey

ART DIRECTOR Martha Emery

STAFF ARTIST Chas. Balun

CIRCULATION Autumn Schwanke

How to Advertise

Conlacl our advertlsing offlces for rales: U.S.A.: Chuck Casey, 4500 Campus Drive, Suite 480, Newpod Beach, Ca. 92660-1872. Phone (949) 852.1990 Fax 94$852t231

INTERilEf ADS: David Cutler, www.buildirg. producls.com. Phone (9{9} 852.1990 Fax 949-852.@31

How to Subscribe

Call Autumn at (949) 852-1990 or send a dreck lor he tollowing amounl lo Buildhg Producls Oigest, 4500 Carnpus Drive, Suile 480, Newpod Beadr, Ca. 92ff0.1872:

U.S.A.: One year (12 issues),925

Two years, $41

Three yearc, $55

FOREIGN (Peryear paid h advanca in US funds): Surface-Canada or Mexico, $37 Olher countries, $45 Air rales also available.

Single copies, $3 + shipping Back issues (wtren avaihbte), $4.50 + shipping

CHANGE 0F ADDRESS Send address label from recent issue if possible, new address and ninedigil zip code.

From There To Here

When Asian economies bottomed out in the late Nineties, affecting prices and supplies of foresd products, it brought home sharply the dramatic results that occur when part of the world economy stumbles. Suddenly markets disappeared, prices fl uctuated and availabilities dwindled.

While Asian markets are now recovering, threats to American forest products companies in world trade are hardly going away. And what affects U.S. companies in international trade determines prices all the way to Main Street.

A new report by the International Trade Commission says that our companies are facing foreign tariffs that threaten jobs at home and stunt our economic expansion. Additionally, non-tariff barriers, such as local building codes and product standards, certification programs, government interference through quotas, taxes and bans all impede fair trade even where tariffs are low. For example, U.S. tariffs on wood products are at zero or close to it, yet competing countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and China have tariffs from lS%o to 4580. While raw mater- ial tariffs are free or low in most countries, value added products face higher tariffs. On wood panels these range from SVo to2l%o.

According to the ITC, an independent, nonpartisan, fact finding federal agency, during 1994-1998, the value of U.S. forest products exports increased by 5Vo. Exports peaked at $23.3 billion in 1995, then declined 16%o Io $19.5 billion by 1998. Canada, Japan and Mexico were the principal export markets, accounting for just over half of all forest products exports two years ago.

The value of our forest products imports hit $28.6 billion in 1998, a 33Vo increase over the 1994-1998 period. Canada accounted for over TOVo of 1998 imports. Mexico, China, Brazil and Finland each accounted for about 3Vo.

Government and industry need to work harder to accelerate tariff liberalization and remove non-tariff barriers for forest products. These days, what affects the other side of the world, affects us all.