Panel Production Heats Up

( Continued from page 26) dicted to decline nearly one-third this year to 1.8 billion sq. ft. Glulam timber exports will fall even more sharply to 20 million bd. ft., a 55% drop, due to weak demand in Japan, the largest glulam export market.

Asian currency woes are also linked to a l2%o rise in U.S. hardwood plywood imports through the first five months of 1998.

In the longer term, North American structural wood panel production should slip slightly next year to 38.25 billion ft. and remain in the 38.1 to 38.4 billion ft. range through 2001.

The ratio of panel production to industry capacity is projected to reach 92Vo this year, its highest level this decade and four points higher than the industry's historical average. That's up from 86Vo in 1996 when 3.7 billion ft. of net new capacity was added.

North American wood I-joist output this year should rise 25Vo to 785 million linear ft., and total 895 million ft. in 1999 and 995 million ft. in 2000. LVL should climb 23Vo to 46.4 million cu. ft. this year, and reach 54 million ft. in 1999 and 62:nillion ft. in 2000.